As the first line of defense, airway mucus is made up of different components that help it trap particles and germs [ 2 , 4 ]. Mucus is a physical barrier to protect the lung and has properties that help get rid of potentially infectious bacteria, fungi, and viruses [ 4 , 5 ]. Some of the important components of airway mucus are mucins sticky, sugar-coated proteins , defense proteins, salt, and water.
Together, these components form a gel that traps particles that enter the airway [ 2 ]. Mucus is mostly produced by cells that line the inside of the airways. These are called goblet cells. Goblet cells are shaped like medieval chalices, hence the name goblet. Unlike other cells in the airway that are ciliated and shaped like columns, goblet cells do not have cilia on top.
Goblet cells are not present beyond the conducting zone, to prevent mucus from interfering with gas exchange. Mucus is also involved in the hydration of airways, which is necessary for proper function of the cilia [ 3 , 5 ]. The movement of cilia is similar to the way your arms move while swimming the breaststroke [ 3 ]. An individual cilium is not strong enough to move the mucus layer on its own, but when thousands of cilia beat together in a coordinated fashion, they can collectively cause the mucus to move [ 2 , 3 ].
Imagine a crowd at a concert when the performer dives off the stage to crowd surf: the performer is like a bundle of mucus, being held up by the arms of the crowd and moved along in a coordinated wave.
In a sense, the cilia talk to each other through movement to produce coordinated, efficient movement of the mucus! This is how the mucociliary escalator works. Some people inherit abnormal genes from their parents and are born with a disease called primary ciliary dyskinesia PCD Figure 2.
PCD is a lung disease that prevents the cilia from beating effectively and, in severe cases, prevents them from moving at all [ 3 ].
In PCD patients, the airways become infected due to ineffective mucus transport, which damages the airway cells. When airways become damaged over time, they become floppy, like a collapsed straw, preventing air from moving through them and causing breathing to become difficult. Imagine drinking a thick, delicious milkshake; less effort is required when you use a normal-width straw compared with a straw that is the width of a spaghetti noodle.
Cystic fibrosis CF is another inherited disease that affects the mucociliary escalator [ 3 ] Figure 2. The lungs and respiratory system allow us to breathe. They bring oxygen into our bodies called inspiration, or inhalation and send carbon dioxide out called expiration, or exhalation. Air enters the respiratory system through the nose or the mouth. If it goes in the nostrils also called nares , the air is warmed and humidified.
Tiny hairs called cilia pronounced: SIL-ee-uh protect the nasal passageways and other parts of the respiratory tract, filtering out dust and other particles that enter the nose through the breathed air. The two openings of the airway the nasal cavity and the mouth meet at the pharynx pronounced: FAR-inks , or throat, at the back of the nose and mouth. The pharynx is part of the digestive system as well as the respiratory system because it carries both food and air.
At the bottom of the pharynx, this pathway divides in two, one for food — the esophagus pronounced: ih-SAH-fuh-gus , which leads to the stomach — and the other for air. The epiglottis pronounced: eh-pih-GLAH-tus , a small flap of tissue, covers the air-only passage when we swallow, keeping food and liquid from going into the lungs.
The larynx, or voice box, is the top part of the air-only pipe. This short tube contains a pair of vocal cords, which vibrate to make sounds. The ultimate goal is to help open up your airways and create airflow that helps push mucus upwards, where it can be more easily coughed out.
Vest therapy, also known as high frequency chest wall oscillation HFCWO therapy is typically prescribed for individuals living with COPD, bronchiectasis, Cystic Fibrosis, or other respiratory conditions that cause shortness of breath, chronic cough, and mucus buildup. The SmartVest Airway Clearance System has multiple proven studies that demonstrate its ability to help treat individuals living with bronchiectasis and improve patient outcome.
In fact, SmartVest is shown to help stabilize lung function and prevent further damage to the lungs from repeated infection and inflammation. If airway clearance is the best line of defense to help you get back to breathing independently and enjoying a better quality of life, tell your doctor about SmartVest. SmartVest is easy to prescribe, and our team will work with your healthcare provider on your behalf to help you find the symptom relief you need long-term.
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If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. The diagram indicates the effects and a non-exhaustive summary of some of these symptoms is provided below.
For information on known and identified ciliopathy syndromes and diseases, see the Ciliopathies section of this site. Cilia are found inside photoreceptors in the eyes. They connect the inner segment to the outer segment and carry proteins made in the inner segment to outer segment. Malfunction stops transport of vital proteins, and the photoreceptors die.
Motile cilia line the respiratory airways, to help clear mucus and dust. As well as primary ciliary dyskinesia, sinusitis, rhinitis, bronchitis and otitis have all been associated with motile cilia dysfunction. Cilia are important during development of the heart. Flow of fluid is sensed by cilia leading to changes of cell growth.
Failure of cilia leads to left left-right asymmetry, eg situs inversus.
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