Methods of increasing gas exchange performed by the lung by damaging lung cells, damaging tissue, causing trauma, and/or destroying airway smooth muscle tone with an apparatus inserted into an airway of the lung are disclosed. The damaging of lung cells, damaging tissue, causing trauma, and/or destroying smooth muscle tone with the apparatus may be accomplished via any one of or combinations of the following: heating the airway cooling the airway delivering a liquid to the airway delivering a gas to the airway puncturing the airway tearing the airway cutting the airway applying ultrasound to the airway and applying ionizing radiation to the airway.
