Pathologies of the respiratory system are a fairly common problem of modern man. Viruses and bacteria, poor air quality, smoking, an abundance of all kinds of flavors gradually disrupt the vital function. This leads to acute or chronic illness, causing symptoms of suffocation and deterioration of the general condition.
General information
Bronchial obstruction syndrome is a pathological process in which there is a narrowing of the lumen of the bronchi, their inflammation and the release of a large amount of viscous sputum.
This condition is not inherent in a particular disease. This is a symptom that reflects that certain problems are present in the human body, and not necessarily from the respiratory system.
Dangerous spasm can occur at any age, but is most severe in children and the elderly.
In most cases, the diagnosis of obstructive disease is not difficult, but the cause is not always easy to determine.
Pathology tends to be severe. With untimelyassistance can be fatal due to suffocation. Prolonged progression is fraught with the development of pathologies from the cardiovascular system.
Why is there a violation?
Factors that cause inflammation of the bronchial mucosa include:
- action of allergens;
- penetration of pathogens;
- bad environment;
- radiation;
- work in hazardous industries;
- bad habits;
- insufficient air humidity.
There are a lot of diseases accompanied by complaints of shortness of breath. The most common include:
- various bronchitis (acute, chronic, obstructive);
- ulcerative lesion of the gastric mucosa;
- pneumonia of any etiology;
- congenital respiratory defects;
- presence of mechanical barriers (tumors, cysts);
- tuberculosis;
- cystic fibrosis;
- pulmonary emphysema;
- bronchial dysplasia;
- AIDS;
- pathology of the cardiovascular system;
- herniated spine;
- damage to the nervous system;
- brain tumors;
- invasive infections;
- rickets.
Everything is connected in the body, and a disruption in the work of one organ will certainly lead to the development of secondary pathological processes, so any disease must be treated without complications.
How to recognize danger signs?
Symptomssyndrome of bronchial obstruction directly depend on the form in which it proceeds. She can be:
- Easy.
- Average.
- Heavy.
Classic signs include:
- Feeling short of breath.
- Heaviness when exhaling and inhaling.
- Short of breath.
- Blue nasolabial triangle.
- Chest expansion.
- Distended neck veins.
- Loss of consciousness.
These patients require emergency medical attention to prevent death.
In mild cases, the patient may not even be aware of the presence of dangerous changes in the structure of the bronchial tree. Often, pathology is diagnosed by chance, during routine fluorography or X-rays (in the presence of acute respiratory infections or suspected pneumonia).
Persons with relatives suffering from bronchospasm should know how to behave when the next attack begins.
Course of illness in children
Bronchial obstruction syndrome can occur in infants or toddlers of the older age group. The pathological condition is accompanied by:
- hard cough;
- shortness of breath;
- whistle, mostly on exhalation.
Most common:
- as a reaction to an allergen (food or inhaled);
- with acute respiratory infections, SARS or influenza.
Congenital malformations of the bronchopulmonary system are less common.
If there are no such anomalies, then at the initial stagesspasms of the respiratory system are successfully treated. Running forms cause irreversible changes in the bronchial tree, and the pathology becomes chronic.
As the child progresses, they appear:
- periodic breathlessness;
- cyanosis of the skin;
- dark circles under the eyes;
- swollen neck veins.
Such conditions are extremely dangerous. If assistance is not provided in time, the child may suffocate.
Bronchospasm during pregnancy
In some women during childbearing, bronchial obstruction syndrome is diagnosed for the first time. This is due to various changes in the body. The hormonal background is changing, immunity is falling.
These are favorable conditions for the penetration of infections that cause prolonged inflammation of the respiratory system, and as a result, obstructive disease.
The problem is compounded by the narrow range of drugs allowed during pregnancy. The question of the treatment of bronchial obstruction syndrome in this case is decided individually. Means forbidden to expectant mothers can be prescribed if there is a real threat to the life of a woman.
If you are prone to allergies, antihistamines will definitely be prescribed, since this factor plays an important role in the development of bronchospasm.
Those who have previously experienced bronchial obstruction may notice an increase or decrease in the frequency of attacks or their complete disappearance.
Strictly prohibitedself-selection of medicines. This may adversely affect the he alth of the mother or child.
Diagnosis
When anxiety symptoms appear, you should definitely consult a doctor. The following pathologies are treated:
- Pulmonologists.
- Allergists.
Getting the correct diagnosis will not be difficult. At the initial visit, a specialist:
- gather all the necessary information;
- will inspect;
- will give direction to necessary research.
Obstruction can be detected by plain X-ray. To determine its cause, the following laboratory tests will be required:
- general and biochemical blood tests;
- sputum culture;
- allergy tests;
- scraping for helminths or PCR diagnostics.
During the examination, the list may be supplemented with other methods at the discretion of the doctor.
First Aid
Most often an asthma attack occurs at night. If this happened for the first time, it is imperative to call an ambulance.
Before the arrival of the doctors, you should:
- Try to eliminate the allergen that provoked the pathological condition. It can be medicines, dust, pollen, pet hair.
- Rinse the patient's mouth, nose to partially eliminate the irritant from the mucous membranes.
- Put the person on the bed (do not lay down). Release the chest from tight clothing.
- Open window for fresh air.
- If stateis rapidly deteriorating, and there are still no doctors, it is necessary to use any bronchodilator, for example, a can of Ventolin.
Strongly not allowed:
- rubbing the patient with balms, honey, vinegar;
- self-medication, especially antitussives;
- laying the patient in a horizontal position.
At the initial attack, a person will be recommended hospitalization, especially if it is a child under 3 years old. You should not refuse, because after receiving the necessary help, the attack often recurs.
If bronchospasm has occurred before, then the patient's relatives should always have on hand an aerosol with salbutamol or another remedy prescribed by a doctor.
When restoring respiratory function, you do not need to call an ambulance, but you should visit the doctor in the near future. If the medicine does not help, then emergency care will still be needed.
Medicated treatment
Treatment of symptoms of bronchospasm in adults should be done as soon as possible.
The basis of successful therapy is the elimination of provoking factors. For this, you can use:
- antibiotics;
- antivirals;
- antihistamines;
- antacids;
- tranquilizers;
- neuroleptics;
- antiparasitic drugs.
Direct elimination of bronchospasm is performed:
- "Ventolin";
- "Berodual";
- "Teopak";
- "Eufillin".
To improve respiratory function, therapy is supplemented:
- mucolytic agents ("Ambroxol", "Acetylcysteine");
- glucocorticoids ("Prednisolone", "Pulmicort").
The dosage is selected individually, taking into account the state of he alth and age of the patient.
Any salbutamol aerosol is considered the best remedy for stopping an attack at home.
Surgery
In especially severe cases, they resort to surgical manipulations. Such treatment is required for bronchospasms caused by mechanical obstructions such as:
- benign and malignant tumors;
- spikes;
- congenital defects of the bronchi and lungs.
The operation is carried out by several methods:
- Remove neoplasm.
- Cut off the lung or part of it.
- Organ transplant.
If the bronchospastic syndrome is provoked by a cancer, then an oncologist is involved in the treatment, who will control the process and select a further scheme.
Physiotherapy
How to get rid of phlegm in the bronchi? This question worries many patients. Often doctors prefer an integrated approach to fixing this problem and prescribe to patients:
- UHF;
- drainage;
- warming up;
- inhalations;
- rehydration.
Their main advantage is the almost complete absence of contraindications. Such physiotherapy can be performed on young children, pregnant and lactating women.
Doctors recommend that all patients suffering from airway obstruction purchase a modern device for inhalation - a nebulizer. It operates on the principle of splitting the drug into small particles using a built-in compressor. Thanks to this, the drug freely enters the most inaccessible areas of the bronchus.
In pharmacies you can buy ready-made solutions for this device based on salbutamol, ambroxol, fenoterol.
Regular inhalations with saline or mineral water "Borjomi" have a beneficial effect on the respiratory system.
Gymnastics
The outflow of viscous sputum can be improved with special exercises. The most commonly used set of Strelnikov exercises:
- In a standing position, slightly tilt the body forward, taking a deep breath through the nose, then raise the body and exhale freely through the mouth. After 8 sets, they try to clear their throats.
- In the same position, the arms are bent at the elbows. When inhaling, they cross, while exhaling they return to their original position.
Respiratory gymnastics is no less effective, it consists in deep breaths through the nose and exhalations with a change in body position.
For example, lying on the bed turn over on one side. They do several approaches, clear their throats. Repeat on the other side, stomach, back.
Any physical activity allows you to better remove phlegm.
A child can be offered a game. He lies down on a bed or sofa so that his torso hangs down slightly, then he is asked to sing a cheerful song. The parent at this moment makes light taps on the back of the baby. As a result, vibrations appear that contribute to the detachment of the viscous substance from the lumen of the bronchi.
Any gymnastics to improve the outflow of sputum is recommended to be carried out no more than 5 minutes. Individuals who regularly suffer from respiratory diseases are shown a daily set of exercises.
Doctors have proved that you should always breathe in air through your nose. This not only helps to eliminate stagnation, but also has a positive effect on the body as a whole.
Alternative Methods
Before you get rid of phlegm in the bronchi, you need to find out the cause of the problem, but many people often neglect this advice, continuing to experiment on their he alth.
The most commonly used folk remedies based on the collection of expectorant herbs and honey, which are on the list of the strongest allergens.
With bronchospasm, such treatment is prohibited, because it often only worsens the condition.
People often consider the science of treating "like like like" a panacea for all diseases.
Representatives of classical medicine oppose homeopathic treatment, because they consider it ineffective, which was officially proven in early 2017.
The positive effect of the "magicpeas" is nothing more than a placebo. Some diseases are really treated by them, based on self-hypnosis. These include various depressions, neuroses, hypochondria.
In the case of an obstructive condition, there is a serious functional impairment that threatens life, so the use of homeopathy is unacceptable.
Treatment of symptoms of bronchospasm in adults is required immediately, and the use of such drugs leads to the transition of the underlying disease into a chronic form, deterioration or even death.
Prevention and prognosis
Every year, bronchospastic syndrome is diagnosed more and more often and can occur in anyone. To minimize this risk, you must:
- quit smoking;
- do not use electronic cigarettes;
- if possible move to live closer to the sea;
- reject the abundance of flavored household chemicals;
- monitor your he alth, if you have allergy symptoms, get tested and identify potentially dangerous substances;
- strengthen your immunity (move more, temper, adjust your diet);
- avoid stress, sleep well;
- if there are complaints, consult a doctor, avoid chronic processes;
- do breathing exercises daily.
Don't take bronchial obstruction syndrome lightly. This is a really dangerous symptom that can take a person's life in a few minutes. At the first signs of respiratory failure, you should visit a specialist and undergosurvey. In acute cases, call an ambulance. In the early stages, most obstructions are well treated. Therefore, do not postpone the problem until later.
