Bronchospasm: symptoms, causes and drugs

Definition

What is bronchospasm?

Bronchospasm is the tightening and tightening of the muscles that line the bronchi in the lungs. When this muscle tightens, the airways (bronchi) will constrict, making it difficult for air to get out of the way. Oxygen that should enter the lungs and carbon dioxide which should be excreted are inhibited and limited in number.

This airway narrowing can reduce the amount of airflow by 15 percent or more. This also makes bronchospasm one of the causes of shortness of breath in most people.

How common is bronchospasm?

Bronchospasm is prone to occur in people with asthma, allergies, or other respiratory diseases. This condition usually affects children and adults over 65 years of age.

Signs and symptoms

What are the signs and symptoms of bronchospasm?

Symptoms of bronchospasm vary widely, depending on the severity of the disease, how much the bronchial tubes are narrowed or how much airflow is reduced.

Common bronchospasm symptoms include:

• Chest tightness and tightness
• The pain in the chest can penetrate the back
• Make a wheezing sound when you breathe
• Cough
• Easily dizzy and tired
• Shortness of breath, making it difficult to breathe freely like normal people

Cause

What causes bronchospasm?

The cause of bronchospasm is the presence of swelling, inflammation, irritation of the respiratory tract. Some of the following diseases can cause bronchospasm, such as:

• Asthma
• Allergy to dust, mites, pet dander, or pollen
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, such as chronic bronchitis or emphysema
• Fungal, viral, or bacterial infection of the lungs

In addition, experts also believe that exercise can be a major trigger for bronchospasm. In fact, this condition is often associated with one of the symptoms of asthma.

However, a study listed in the journal Clinical and Experimental Allergy states that it may not be true. In the study, it was thought that post-exercise muscle tension might be a different condition from asthma.

Still from the same study, this condition was also associated with atopic rhinitis. Atopic rhinitis is a chronic condition that causes dry crusts in the nasal cavity and reduced mucus production over time.

Researchers are also still working to find out whether e-cigarettes can cause this tension in the respiratory tract muscles. The reason is, the nicotine content in e-cigarettes can stimulate the main nerves in the lungs, causing tension in the lung muscles.

A study contained inAmerican Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine test the effect of e-cigarettes on guinea pig,that is, a kind of mouse. As a result, e-cigarettes with nicotine content of 12 mg / ml can trigger bronchospasm in anesthetized animals first.

Risk factors

What are the risk factors for this condition?

Meanwhile, other factors that can put a person at risk of bronchospasm include:

• Often exposed to fumes from chemicals or combustion
• Have a smoking habit, be it from tobacco or e-cigarettes
• Getting general anesthesia during surgery which can irritate the respiratory tract
• Using blood thinners

Diagnosis

How do doctors diagnose this condition?

To get a diagnosis of bronchospasm, you should consult a doctor who specializes in respiratory diseases or a pulmonologist.

The doctor will ask about your symptoms and find out your medical history, whether you have asthma, allergies, or other respiratory diseases or not. Next, the doctor will see how you breathe.

Some medical tests to measure how well your lungs are functioning may also need to be done to confirm a diagnosis of bronchospasm, such as:

• A spirometric tube breathing test to measure the strength of the air as you breathe
• Lung volume test to measure how much oxygen the lungs can pick up
• Lung diffusion capacity test to determine the hemoglobin level in the blood
• Test pulse oximetryto measure the level of oxygen in the blood
• Test eucapnis voluntary hyperventilation,Diagnose bronchospasm by inhaling a mixture of oxygen and carbon dioxide to stimulate breathing while exercising
• Chest X-rays and CT scans to look for signs or other problems in the lungs

Treatment

How to treat bronchospasm?

Although bronchospasm can be treated with medication in the form of tablets or injection, inhaled drugs are the most effective. Usually the doctor will prescribe bronchodilators to treat bronchospasm.

This medication can help dilate narrowed airways so that air flow will increase. There are three types of bronchodilators that are commonly used, namely beta-agonists, anticholinergics, and theophylline.

There are two types of bronchodilator treatments to treat bronchospasm, namely:

1. Short acting bronchodilator

This medication will start to work in a few minutes and the effects can last up to several hours. The doctor will prescribe this treatment, if the patient experiences sudden tightness and should only be used once or twice a week. Commonly used short-acting bronchodilators include:

• Metaproterenol
• Xopenex
• Maxair
• Ventolin

2. Long-acting bronchodilator

For chronic bronchospasm, the doctor will provide long-term care, namely a combination of bronchodilators and inhaled corticosteroids. Bronchodilator use is done two or three times per day and at times as scheduled by the doctor. A combination of drugs can help to quickly relieve symptoms of straining the bronchial muscles.

Long-acting bronchodilators and commonly used inhaled corticosteroid drugs include:

• Foradil
• Prednisolone
• Advair
• Flovent