8 Curious Facts About Lungs

Pulmonary hypertension is a rare lung disease that refers to an increase in blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries, which results in a severe difficulty in breathing among patients.

And with pulmonary hypertension, every breath matters, as some patients explain to you in this article.

Breathing is the most important thing your body does; without it, you simply can not live. It’s something you do without even thinking about it unless you suffer from a lung condition that makes your breathing a difficult task. But there are many facts about the body, the respiratory system and the lungs that most of us are unaware of.

Here’s a list of some curious facts about the lungs that are worth taking a look at (source: Lung Institute website):

1. A person usually breathes an average of 13 pints of air every minute.

Read more about inhaling, exhaling and how breathing works.

2. Lungs aren’t the same size; to accommodate the heart the right lung is larger than the left lung (in human beings). 

You might be interested in learning more about how to increase your lung capacity with breathing exercises.

3. Lungs float on water! It’s not something most people are aware of but actually, the lungs are the only organs in the human body that are capable of floating on water.

4. What do lungs and a tennis court have in common? Their size! It seems pretty impossible, but if the lungs were opened flat, they would be so big that they would cover the size of a tennis court!

5. Oxygen only plays a small part in breathing.  The air we breathe contains 21% oxygen, but our bodies only use 5%, the rest is exhaled.

6. 70% of waste is eliminated through your lungs just by simply breathing.

7. Children and women are faster breathers than men since their breathing rate is higher. 

8. Humans exhale up to 17.5 milliliters of water per hour.

Learn more about pulmonary hypertension and 8 signs of PH you should be aware of.

Pulmonary Hypertension News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.