DIAPHRAGM

What is the diaphragm?

The diaphragm is a muscle that helps you inhale and exhale (breathe in and out). This thin, dome-
shaped muscle sits below your lungs and heart. It’s attached to your sternum (a bone in the middle of
your chest), the bottom of your rib cage and your spine. Your diaphragm separates your chest from
your abdominal cavity (belly).

In addition to helping you breathe, your diaphragm increases pressure inside your abdomen. This helps
with other important functions, such as getting rid of your urine (pee) and feces (poop). It helps
prevent acid reflux by putting pressure on your esophagus (food tube in your throat). Your esophagus
and several nerves and blood vessels run through openings in the diaphragm.

The diaphragm, located below the lungs, is the major muscle of respiration. It is a large, dome-shaped
muscle that contracts rhythmically and continually, and most of the time, involuntarily.
 Upon inhalation, the diaphragm contracts and flattens and the chest cavity enlarges. This
contraction creates a vacuum, which pulls air into the lungs. Upon exhalation, the diaphragm relaxes
and returns to its domelike shape, and air is forced out of the lungs.

What are the possible diseases of the diaphragm?

1. Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) - is a defect in an unborn baby’s diaphragm, the

muscle that divides the chest cavity and abdominal cavity. CDH occurs when the
diaphragm does not close the right way during the baby's development and abdominal
organs push (“herniate”) through the defect into the chest cavity.
2. Diaphragmatic tumor - Primary tumors of the diaphragm are rare, and more than
half are benign. Diaphragmatic tumors arise from mesenchymal tissue because of
their mesodermal origin, and all varieties of these tumors have been reported.
3. Hiatal hernia -A hiatal hernia occurs when part of your stomach pushes up into a hiatus
(opening) in your diaphragm. There are two types of hiatal hernias:
Sliding hiatal hernia: The more common type of hernia, this happens when part of the
stomach and the juncture of the stomach and esophagus slide up into your esophagus
through the hiatal opening.
Paraesophageal hernia: Less common, this type of hiatal hernia happens when part of
your stomach pushes up through the hiatis into your chest, next to your esophagus.

How can I keep my diaphragm healthy?

Your diaphragm is a muscle. Just like any other muscle in your body, you can strengthen
it with exercises. Diaphragmatic breathing exercises can help your diaphragm work more
efficiently. They also reduce stress and help you feel better.

To keep your diaphragm healthy, you should:

-Eat smaller meals and avoid foods that cause heartburn.

-Get regular checkups if you have a condition that puts you at a higher risk of diaphragm problems.

-Maintain a weight that's healthy for you.

-Warm up before you exercise to allow your diaphragm time to stretch. Don’t overdo it when
exercising

That’s all, thankyouuuuu