Which term best describes disorders that reduce the volume of air the lungs can hold due to stiff lungs or restricted expansion?

Which term best describes disorders that reduce the volume of air the lungs can hold due to stiff lungs or restricted expansion?

• A. Restrictive disorders.
• B. Obstructive disorders.
• C. Vascular disorders.
• D. Infectious diseases.

Answer: (A)

When a disease limits how much the lungs can expand because the lungs are stiff or the chest wall expansion is restricted, the total amount of air the lungs can hold is reduced. This decrease in lung volumes, especially total lung capacity and vital capacity, is the hallmark of restrictive disorders. The underlying issue is reduced compliance or restricted expansion, not trouble with air leaving the lungs. This differs from obstructive disorders, where the main problem is difficulty exhaling air due to narrowed airways, leading to reduced expiratory flow and often air trapping rather than an overall reduction in the maximum lung volume. Vascular disorders affect the blood flow and gas exchange in the lungs rather than the lung’s capacity to fill. Infectious diseases can impair gas exchange and may temporarily affect volumes, but the defining feature described here is restricted expansion and decreased lung volumes, which points to restrictive disorders.

When a disease limits how much the lungs can expand because the lungs are stiff or the chest wall expansion is restricted, the total amount of air the lungs can hold is reduced. This decrease in lung volumes, especially total lung capacity and vital capacity, is the hallmark of restrictive disorders. The underlying issue is reduced compliance or restricted expansion, not trouble with air leaving the lungs.

This differs from obstructive disorders, where the main problem is difficulty exhaling air due to narrowed airways, leading to reduced expiratory flow and often air trapping rather than an overall reduction in the maximum lung volume. Vascular disorders affect the blood flow and gas exchange in the lungs rather than the lung’s capacity to fill. Infectious diseases can impair gas exchange and may temporarily affect volumes, but the defining feature described here is restricted expansion and decreased lung volumes, which points to restrictive disorders.