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Breath control: Difference between revisions
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Human lungs exchange oxygen for carbon dioxide and store additional oxygen, which allows for brief periods of apnea (pauses in breathing) without harm. The amount of gas stored in the lungs at a given time is described by "[[wikipedia:Lung_volumes|lung volumes]]", and varies depending on what the person is doing. If breathing is paused, adequate oxygenation will be provided to the body until the remaining oxygen stored in the lungs is consumed, after which the person's oxygen saturation will rapidly decrease followed shortly by loss of consciousness. | Human lungs exchange oxygen for carbon dioxide and store additional oxygen, which allows for brief periods of apnea (pauses in breathing) without harm. The amount of gas stored in the lungs at a given time is described by "[[wikipedia:Lung_volumes|lung volumes]]", and varies depending on what the person is doing. If breathing is paused, adequate oxygenation will be provided to the body until the remaining oxygen stored in the lungs is consumed, after which the person's oxygen saturation will rapidly decrease followed shortly by loss of consciousness. | ||
Importantly, the body's sense of urgency to breathe is almost entirely driven by the ability to exhale carbon dioxide rather than the level of oxygen in the blood. This means that in certain circumstances (e.g. inhaling breaths of nitrous oxide continuously), the person will never feel short of breath despite low oxygen levels which can rapidly lead to unconsciousness. | Importantly, the body's sense of urgency to breathe is almost entirely driven by the ability to exhale carbon dioxide rather than the level of oxygen in the blood. This means that in certain circumstances (e.g. inhaling breaths of [[nitrous oxide]] continuously), the person will never feel short of breath despite low oxygen levels which can rapidly lead to unconsciousness. | ||
The following table demonstrates how much gas remains in the lungs and how long that gas can supply enough oxygen to the body for a number of different circumstances for an average adult. Note that while the average volumes of gas vary greatly between individuals based upon their [[wikipedia:Lean_body_mass|lean body weight]], there is a reciprocal change in the rate of oxygen consumption meaning that the calculated times until desaturation occurs remain roughly the same. | The following table demonstrates how much gas remains in the lungs and how long that gas can supply enough oxygen to the body for a number of different circumstances for an average adult. Note that while the average volumes of gas vary greatly between individuals based upon their [[wikipedia:Lean_body_mass|lean body weight]], there is a reciprocal change in the rate of oxygen consumption meaning that the calculated times until desaturation occurs remain roughly the same. | ||