There are many types of particles that could enter the lungs and cause damage. Some of these particles are pollutants, such as emissions from gas-powered vehicles, carbon monoxide from fireplaces, toxins from vaping or smoking, and aerosols like hairspray. Particles can get trapped in various areas of the lung. Short hairs, like the kind on top of your head, line the insides of the nostrils and are covered with mucus. These mucus-covered hairs help trap larger particles as they enter the nose. Particles that enter the conducting zone can hurt the airway cells, which may reduce the movement of their cilia and lead to a buildup of mucus that cannot be cleared from the airways. Mucus-clogged airways may not allow air to travel as effectively, like the way leaves in a gutter interfere with water flow. Smaller particles can sometimes get all the way to the alveoli. Damage to the alveoli makes breathing considerably more difficult, because oxygen will not diffuse as well into the blood. This reduced efficiency of gas exchange may cause the rest of the body to be hypoxic, which means low in oxygen.

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