Which condition can lead to increased airway resistance?

Increased airway resistance is a hallmark feature of obstructive lung disease. Conditions such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema lead to the narrowing or blockage of the airways, which results in difficulty exhaling air from the lungs. This obstruction can be caused by inflammation, bronchospasm, excessive mucus production, or structural changes in the airway walls, all of which restrict airflow.

In obstructive lung disease, patients often experience symptoms like wheezing, shortness of breath, and chronic cough due to the increased resistance in the airways during expiration. The airflow limitations in these conditions often vary with the degree of effort, further illustrating how airway resistance is heightened.

While pneumonia and heart failure can lead to respiratory difficulties, they do not predominantly cause increased airway resistance in the same way obstructive lung diseases do. Pneumonia typically results in consolidation and inflammation in the lung parenchyma, while heart failure leads to fluid accumulation, both of which create different challenges in oxygen exchange but not primarily due to airway resistance. Restrictive lung disease is characterized by reduced lung capacity and compliance but does not specifically involve obstruction leading to increased resistance in the airways.