when lungs are under pressure because of pollution

[alpacinou]

I want to suggest that a person's lungs are under pressure because of pollution or other factors.

Are these good?

1. The air was polluted more days than it was clean. The city's inhabitants escaped to the countryside to soothe their poisoned lungs.

2. The guerillas had used tear gas. John and Nicole escaped back to their hotel room, coughing viciously and drinking water to calm their poisoned lungs.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I want to suggest that a person's lungs are suffering because of pollution or other factors.

Are these good?

1. The air was polluted more days than it was clean. The city's inhabitants escaped to the countryside to soothe their poisoned lungs.

That tells us everyone deserted the city. If only some of them left town, say something like

- City inhabitants
- Many of the city's inhabitants
- A lot of city inhabitants

2. The guerillas had used tear gas. John and Nicole escaped back to their hotel room, coughing viciously and drinking water to calm their poisoned lungs.

They're good.

 

[emsr2d2]

Vicious coughing doesn't sound very calming. I'd say they were doing it to clear their lungs.

 

[alpacinou]

Vicious coughing doesn't sound very calming. I'd say they were doing it to clear their lungs.

Okay. What about this?

2. The guerillas had used tear gas. John and Nicole escaped back to their hotel room, drinking water to calm their poisoned lungs.

 

[Raymott]

If you want to say that they were i) coughing viciously, and ii) drinking water to calm their poisoned lungs, then I'd put a comma after "viciously". I think emsr2d2 is assuming that they are doing both to calm their lungs.

Drinking water generally won't calm your lungs. It might help to soothe your throat, but shouldn't go into your trachea. Inhaling an aerosol of water might help.

 

[alpacinou]

If you want to say that they were i) coughing viciously, and ii) drinking water to calm their poisoned lungs, then I'd put a comma after "viciously". I think emsr2d2 is assuming that they are doing both to calm their lungs.

Drinking water generally won't calm your lungs. It might help to soothe your throat, but shouldn't go into your trachea. Inhaling an aerosol of water might help.

Good point. So is this correct?

The guerillas had used tear gas. John and Nicole escaped back to their hotel room, coughing viciously, and inhaling water to calm their poisoned lungs.

 

[Raymott]

No, "inhaling water" is wrong.

 

[tedmc]

Inhaling aerosol/vapour/steam.
I would say "to relieve their lungs".

 

[Tarheel]

Inhaling aerosol/vapour/steam.
I would say "to relieve their lungs".

That's better than drinking water. Drinking water will keep you hydrated. That's good. But it won't do much for your lungs. (Not directly.)

 

[alpacinou]

No, "inhaling water" is wrong.

And this?

The guerillas had used tear gas. John and Nicole coughed viciously as they escaped back to their hotel room, breathing deeply to calm their poisoned lungs.

 

[Tdol]

With the air pollution, how about irritated lungs? I lived in a terribly polluted city for a few years, and that is how I felt.

 

[alpacinou]

Is this okay?

The guerillas had used tear gas. John and Nicole coughed viciously as they escaped back to their hotel room, breathing deeply to calm their poisoned lungs.

 

[Tarheel]

That's better. I still wouldn't use viciously though. Also, if they coughed it was more likely to be for a long time than anything else. Perhaps:

They coughed and coughed and coughed. They were hoping to expel the poison from their lungs.

And what about their eyes? Teargas makes your eyes water. (Thus the name.) Perhaps:

They went to the sink and washed their eyes out with water. Eventually they washed all the irritant out of their eyes.

 

[alpacinou]

That's better. I still wouldn't use viciously though. Also, if they coughed it was more likely to be for a long time than anything else. Perhaps:

They coughed and coughed and coughed. They were hoping to expel the poison from their lungs.

And what about their eyes? Teargas makes your eyes water. (Thus the name.) Perhaps:

They went to the sink and washed their eyes out with water. Eventually they washed all the irritant out of their eyes.

What about this?

The guerillas had used tear gas. John and Nicole coughed violently as they escaped back to their hotel room, breathing deeply and hoping to expel the gas from their poised lungs. John looked at Nicole, her eyes bloodshot, her face pale. "Honey, let me wash your eyes," he said.
"How bad is it?" she said.

 

[Tarheel]

What about this?

The guerillas had used tear gas. John and Nicole coughed violently as they escaped back to their hotel room, breathing deeply and hoping to expel the gas from their poisoned lungs. John looked at Nicole, her eyes bloodshot, her face pale. "Honey, let me wash your eyes," he said. "How bad is it?" she said.

Better!