Final answer:
Excessive magnesium levels can detrimentally impact breathing due to changes in lung compliance and resistance, potentially causing difficulties similar to those observed in diseases like fibrosis, asthma, or emphysema.
Step-by-step explanation:
Excessive levels of magnesium can affect breathing and gas exchange by altering the compliance and resistance of the lung. Changes in lung compliance, such as those seen in restrictive diseases like fibrosis, result in stiffened airways that collapse upon exhalation, leading to air being trapped in the lungs and making breathing more difficult. Similarly, increased airway resistance, which can occur due to conditions like asthma or emphysema, causes obstructed airways, trapping air in the lungs and complicating the breathing process. These changes can lead to a mismatch in ventilation and perfusion (V/Q mismatch), potentially arising from anatomical or physiological alterations, and thus affecting gas exchange.