The recurrent laryngeal nerve is also known as the inferior laryngeal nerve. The right nerve branches from the vagus at the root of the neck around the right subclavian artery. It courses superiorly in the tracheoesophageal groove to enter the larynx between the cricopharyngeus and the esophagus.
Emphysema is a form of chronic (long-term) lung disease. People with emphysema have difficulty breathing from a limitation in blowing air out. There are multiple causes of emphysema, but smoking is by far the most common. Emphysema is one of the main types of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
COPD, or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, is an umbrella term used to describe progressive lung diseases including emphysema, chronic bronchitis, refractory (non-reversible) asthma, and some forms of bronchiectasis. This disease is characterized by increasing breathlessness. What is Emphysema? Emphysema is a disease in which there is permanent damage to the alveoli. The alveoli are the millions of tiny, elastic air sacs at the very ends of the smallest tubes in the lungs. In emphysema the alveoli become stretched out, and lose their elasticity. Their walls break down, reducing the lungsâ ability to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide. Stale air becomes trapped in the lungs and they expand permanently, becoming too large and causing crowding within the chest.