How the Respiratory System Works in Grand Rapids, MI

The respiratory system is your body’s way of bringing in oxygen and getting rid of carbon dioxide. For people living in Grand Rapids, Michigan—with cold, dry winters, humid summers, and seasonal allergens—keeping your lungs healthy is especially important.

Your respiratory system includes your nose, throat, windpipe (trachea), lungs, and the muscles that help you breathe. Local healthcare providers in Grand Rapids, such as Corewell Health (formerly Spectrum Health), Trinity Health Grand Rapids, Metro Health – University of Michigan Health, and Mercy Health, routinely care for patients with respiratory conditions ranging from asthma to pneumonia.

Our Cells Need Oxygen to Survive

Every cell in your body needs a constant supply of oxygen to produce energy. As cells use oxygen, they create carbon dioxide as a waste product. Too much carbon dioxide in the body is dangerous, so it must be removed.

Your respiratory system:

  • Brings oxygen into the body when you inhale
  • Removes carbon dioxide from the body when you exhale

In Grand Rapids, where winter air can be very cold and dry, your respiratory system also works harder to warm and humidify the air you breathe—especially during long stretches of freezing temperatures off Lake Michigan.

The Lungs: Main Organs of the Respiratory System

The lungs are the primary organs of breathing. They sit inside your chest, protected by the ribcage. In West Michigan, respiratory health is a major focus of local hospitals and clinics, which offer lung screenings, asthma management, and pulmonary rehabilitation programs.

Other important parts of the respiratory system include:

  • Nose and nasal passages
  • Trachea (windpipe)
  • Bronchi and bronchioles (smaller airways inside the lungs)
  • Breathing muscles – mainly the diaphragm and intercostal muscles (muscles between the ribs)

Breathing in through the nose helps:

  • Warm the air (important in cold Grand Rapids winters)
  • Add moisture to the air
  • Filter out dust, pollen, and other particles

The Role of the Nose and Trachea

Nose Hairs and Mucus as Filters

Inside your nose, tiny hairs (cilia) and a thin layer of mucus help trap:

  • Dust
  • Pollen
  • Mold spores
  • Bacteria and other particles

This is especially important in Grand Rapids during:

  • Spring and summer, when pollen counts rise
  • Fall, when mold and leaf debris can irritate the airways

The Trachea (Windpipe)

After passing through the nose and throat, the warmed, filtered air enters the trachea, a hollow tube supported by rings of cartilage. These rings:

  • Keep the trachea open
  • Prevent it from collapsing when you breathe in and out

From the trachea, air travels into the bronchi, which branch into each lung, then into smaller tubes called bronchioles.

Your lungs are wrapped in a thin membrane called the pleura, which helps them move smoothly against the chest wall as you breathe.

What the Lungs Look Like Inside

Lungs as “Giant Sponges”

The lungs look a bit like giant sponges:

  • Filled with thousands of branching airways
  • Ending in millions of tiny air sacs called alveoli

These air sacs are where the crucial gas exchange happens.

Alveoli and Capillaries

Each alveolus (single air sac) is surrounded by a fine mesh of tiny blood vessels called capillaries. Here:

  • Oxygen from the air moves into the blood
  • Carbon dioxide from the blood moves into the air inside the alveoli

This exchange happens across a very thin, moist membrane, allowing gases to move quickly and efficiently.

Local hospitals in Grand Rapids often use imaging tests and lung function tests to evaluate how well the alveoli and airways are working, especially for patients with conditions like asthma, COPD, or pneumonia.

How Breathing Actually Happens

The Diaphragm and Intercostal Muscles

Breathing is controlled mainly by:

  • The diaphragm – a dome-shaped sheet of muscle beneath the lungs
  • The intercostal muscles – muscles between your ribs

These muscles change the pressure inside your chest, which moves air in and out of your lungs.

Inhalation (Breathing In)

When you inhale:

  1. The diaphragm contracts and moves downward.
  2. The intercostal muscles contract, lifting the ribcage.
  3. The space in the chest increases, and the pressure inside the chest drops.
  4. Air is “sucked” into the lungs through the nose or mouth, trachea, and bronchi.

Exhalation (Breathing Out)

When you exhale:

  1. The diaphragm relaxes and moves upward.
  2. The intercostal muscles relax, and the ribcage moves down.
  3. The space in the chest decreases, and the pressure inside the chest rises.
  4. Air is “pushed” out of the lungs, carrying carbon dioxide out of the body.

Inside the alveoli:

  • Blood rich in carbon dioxide flows through the capillaries.
  • Carbon dioxide moves from the blood into the air in the alveoli.
  • This carbon dioxide is then breathed out.
  • At the same time, oxygen moves from the air in the alveoli into the blood, where it is carried to cells throughout the body.

The Respiratory System and Speech

Your respiratory system also allows you to talk, sing, and laugh.

When you speak:

  • Exhaled air flows from the lungs through the trachea and passes over the vocal cords in the larynx (voice box).
  • The sound of your voice depends on:
    • How much air is being exhaled
    • The tension and length of the vocal cords
    • The shape of the mouth, tongue, and chest

In Grand Rapids, voice and respiratory specialists (often at major hospital systems and ENT clinics) help patients with voice problems, chronic cough, and breathing-related speech issues.

Common Respiratory Problems in Grand Rapids, MI

Residents of Grand Rapids experience many of the same respiratory conditions seen across Michigan and the Great Lakes region. Cold winters, seasonal flu waves, and spring and fall allergies all affect lung health.

Common Respiratory Conditions

  • Asthma

    • Causes wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness
    • Often triggered by cold air, exercise, pollen, pet dander, or air pollution
    • Cold, dry Grand Rapids winters and seasonal pollen can worsen symptoms

  • Bronchitis

    • Inflammation of the larger airways in the lungs
    • Can be acute (short-term, usually from infection) or chronic (long-term, often related to smoking or air pollution)
    • Symptoms: cough, mucus production, chest discomfort

  • Emphysema

    • Damage to the alveoli (air sacs) of the lungs
    • A form of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
    • Makes it hard to exhale air fully and get enough oxygen

  • Pneumonia

    • Infection of the lung tissue
    • Can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi
    • Symptoms: fever, cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue
    • More common and more serious in winter months in West Michigan

  • Influenza (Flu)

    • Viral infection that affects the nose, throat, and lungs
    • Can lead to serious complications, especially in older adults or people with chronic conditions
    • Annual flu vaccination is strongly recommended by the Kent County Health Department

  • Hay Fever (Allergic Rhinitis)

    • Allergic reaction to pollen, dust, mold, or other irritants
    • Common in Grand Rapids during spring and fall
    • Symptoms: sneezing, runny or stuffy nose, itchy eyes, sometimes cough or wheeze

  • Laryngitis

    • Inflammation of the larynx (voice box)
    • Can cause hoarseness, loss of voice, sore throat
    • Often follows a viral infection or heavy voice use

  • Lung Infections

    • Can range from mild bronchitis to severe pneumonia
    • More frequent in colder months and during flu season

Local Respiratory Health in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Living in Grand Rapids means dealing with:

  • Cold winters – can trigger asthma and bronchospasm
  • Seasonal pollen and mold – can worsen allergies and hay fever
  • Flu and respiratory virus season – typically fall through early spring

Local Resources for Respiratory Care

If you have breathing problems or symptoms like persistent cough, wheezing, or chest pain, you can seek help from:

  • Your primary care doctor or family physician
  • Pulmonologists (lung specialists) at:
    • Corewell Health (Spectrum Health) in Grand Rapids
    • Trinity Health Grand Rapids
    • Metro Health – University of Michigan Health
    • Mercy Health and affiliated clinics
  • Kent County Health Department
    • Offers information on flu shots, COVID-19 vaccines, and other respiratory disease prevention
  • Grand Rapids public health clinics and community health centers
    • Provide care for uninsured or underinsured residents

National organizations such as the American Lung Association and Lung Foundation also offer education and support for people with asthma, COPD, and other lung diseases.

Key Points About the Respiratory System

  • The main organs of the respiratory system are the lungs.
  • The trachea is a hollow tube supported by rings of cartilage to keep it open and prevent collapse.
  • Nose hairs and mucus help filter and clean the air before it reaches the lungs.
  • Alveoli and capillaries are where oxygen enters the blood and carbon dioxide leaves it.
  • The diaphragm and intercostal muscles work together to move air in and out of the lungs.
  • The respiratory system also allows us to speak, sing, and make sounds.
  • Common respiratory problems in Grand Rapids and across Michigan include:
    • Asthma
    • Bronchitis
    • Emphysema (COPD)
    • Hay fever and seasonal allergies
    • Influenza (flu)
    • Laryngitis
    • Pneumonia
    • Other lung infections

If you live in Grand Rapids, MI and notice ongoing breathing difficulties, frequent cough, or repeated lung infections, contact a local healthcare provider or clinic for evaluation and treatment. Early care can protect your lungs and improve your long-term respiratory health.