Residual volumes increase in which condition?

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Multiple Choice

Residual volumes increase in which condition?

Residual volume is the air left in the lungs after a full exhale. In obstructive disease, expiratory flow is impaired because narrowed or damaged airways trap air so it cannot be fully expelled. This air trapping means more air remains at the end of expiration, raising the residual volume. Over time, this also leads to hyperinflation, with the lungs continually holding more air than normal. In restrictive disease, the lungs can’t expand well, so overall lung volumes tend to be reduced rather than increased, and residual volume doesn’t typically rise. So the classic scenario with increased residual volume is obstructive disease, seen in conditions like emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and asthma with airway obstruction.

Residual volume is the air left in the lungs after a full exhale. In obstructive disease, expiratory flow is impaired because narrowed or damaged airways trap air so it cannot be fully expelled. This air trapping means more air remains at the end of expiration, raising the residual volume. Over time, this also leads to hyperinflation, with the lungs continually holding more air than normal. In restrictive disease, the lungs can’t expand well, so overall lung volumes tend to be reduced rather than increased, and residual volume doesn’t typically rise. So the classic scenario with increased residual volume is obstructive disease, seen in conditions like emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and asthma with airway obstruction.

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