• Patients & families
  • Healthcare professionals
  • Products
  • Verify Device
  • Healthy sleep
    • Why sleep matters?
    • What is a good nights sleep?
    • What happens during sleep?
    • Do you snore?
    • How to get a good night sleep?
    • Factors that interfere with healthy sleep
    • What should I do if I suspect a problem?
  • Snoring
    • Why do we snore?
    • Impact of snoring
    • How to stop snoring?
    • Snoring videos
    • Snoring myths
  • Sleep apnea
    • What is Sleep Apnea?
    • Sleep Apnea Symptoms
    • How do I know if I have Sleep Apnea?
    • What are the treatment options?
    • Myths about Sleep Apnea
    • Sleep apnea stories videos
    • Book Home Sleep Test
    • Sleep Quiz
  • CPAP device
    • CPAP Therapy
    • CPAP Myths
    • Usage videos
    • CPAP Trial
  • Respiratory care
    • Diagnosis
    • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
    • Obestity hypoventilation syndrome
    • Restrictive lung disease
    • Neuromuscular disease
    • Respiratory support for children
  • Videos
    • Patient Stories
    • Experts Stories
  • Blog
  • Patients & Families
  • Healthcare professionals
  • Products
  • Verify Device
  • Healthy sleep
    • Why sleep matters?
    • What is a good nights sleep?
    • What happens during sleep?
    • Do you snore?
    • How to get a good night sleep?
    • Factors that interfere with healthy sleep
    • What should I do if I suspect a problem?
  • Snoring
    • Why do we snore?
    • Impact of snoring
    • How to stop snoring?
    • Snoring videos
    • Snoring myths
  • Sleep apnea
    • What is Sleep Apnea?
    • Sleep Apnea Symptoms
    • How do I know if I have Sleep Apnea?
    • What are the treatment options?
    • Myths about Sleep Apnea
    • Sleep apnea stories videos
    • Book Home Sleep Test
    • Sleep Quiz
  • CPAP device
    • CPAP Therapy
    • CPAP Myths
    • Usage videos
    • CPAP Trial
  • Respiratory care
    • Diagnosis
    • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
    • Obestity hypoventilation syndrome
    • Restrictive lung disease
    • Neuromuscular disease
    • Respiratory support for children
  • Videos
    • Patient Stories
    • Experts Stories
  • Blog
...
....

Home > Respiratory care > Normal breathing

What happens during normal breathing?

Share

To find out what could be affecting your ability to breathe properly, it’s helpful to first understand what normal breathing looks like.

Breathing is automatic

It might sound simple, but it’s important to realize that breathing is not something we have to consciously remember to do. It’s a reflex that is controlled by nerve cells in the brain and spine.

The upper and lower airways

The respiratory system is made up of 2 parts: the upper and lower airways.

Upper airway

Lower airway

The lower airway is protected by the chest cavity, which also contains the heart and lungs.

The breathing process

What starts the breathing process is actually the effort you make (from your chest) to draw air into your body.

When you breathe, the air entering your nose is cleaned, warmed and moistened. It then travels through your throat to the windpipe, and down to the bronchi in the lungs.

As you inhale and exhale, your chest and ribs expand and contract to allow for the air going in and out.

Abnormal breathing

As you can imagine, the everyday act of breathing can become very difficult if you have a respiratory condition that affects the muscles, nerves, reflexes or organs involved in breathing.

Learn more about respiratory conditions:

  • COPD
  • Neuromuscular disease
  • Cheyne-Stokes respiration
  • Respiratory conditions in children
  • OHS
  • Restrictive lung disease

Related topics

  • Diagnosis

  • Healthy sleep tips
    • What is sleep apnea?
    • How to stop snoring?
    • What is snoring?
    • Home sleep test
    • Sleep quiz
  • Respiratory care
    • Obesity hypoventilation syndrome
    • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
  • Useful links
    • Patient stories
    • Videos
    • Blogs
  • Connect with us at Toll Free Number
    • 1800-103-3969
Healthy sleep tips
What is sleep apnea?
How to stop snoring?
What is snoring?
Home sleep test
Sleep quiz
Respiratory care
Obesity hypoventilation syndrome
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Useful links
Patient stories
Videos
Blogs
Connect with us at Toll Free Number
1800-103-3969
  • Contact
  • About Us
  • Legal disclaimer
  • Intellectual property
  • Terms of use
  • Privacy
  • Security
  • Careers
  • Cookie notice
  • ©2000- ResMed. All rights reserved.