Question

What will happen if a diaphragm of a person gets ruptured in an accident?

Answer 1

Hint: Diaphragm is made up of thin skeletal muscle and it lies below the thoracic cavity. It helps in the separation of the thoracic cavity and abdomen and while breathing the diaphragm contracts and relaxes. Any injury in the diaphragm does directly or indirectly affects the lungs which cause trouble in breathing.

Complete Answer:
The diaphragm is a delicate sheet-like structure that helps to protect the thoracic chamber and also separates it from the abdomen. A ruptured diaphragm leads to pain and the passage of organs from the abdomen towards the lungs and causes a decrease in lung surface area. The decrease in lung surface area leads to difficulty in breathing, if the rupture is not serious then it surgically gets treated but a major rupture in the diaphragm causes the improper supply of oxygen due to difficulty in the breathing process and ultimately the person dies.

Additional Information:
Various health disorders take place in the diaphragm are hiatal hernia, diaphragmatic anaemia, cramps and spasm due to chest pain, diaphragmatic flutter, phrenic nerve damage etc. The main symptoms of all this disease is shortness of breath and other symptoms include abdominal pain, heartburn, difficulty in swallowing food.

Note:
The space between the pleural sac of the two sides of the lungs consist of gaps and it allows passage of the lymphatic system of the heart, trachea, oesophagus and thoracic duct. This space is known as the mediastinum.
As the diaphragm is considered important for respiration it also shows some non-respiratory function like an increase in abdominal pressure which helps to get relief from vomit, urine, faeces and acid reflux.