Allergic tracheobronchitis is one of the forms of a fairly common inflammatory disease. With it, the mucous membrane of the tracheobronchial tree is affected under the influence of certain stimuli. These could be infections, nicotine, or allergens.
Most often, tracheobronchitis is associated, of course, with smoking, less often with acute respiratory diseases of a bacterial or viral nature that a person suffered on his feet. But in some cases, inflammation of the mucous membrane of the trachea, bronchi and bronchioles occurs due to allergens that have entered the respiratory system with air.
Basic information
Considering tracheobronchitis, its symptoms and causes, it should be noted that this inflammatory process is usually diffuse. That is, it does not have any specific foci of localization, and it covers the mucous membranes of the lower airways almost completely.
The duration of the disease, the features of its course are usually directly determined by its form. main symptoms andtreatment of tracheitis may also depend on what pathogens it is caused, although there are a number of common signs - for example, cough (most often dry, although in some cases there is sputum discharge), chest pain, sometimes fever, general deterioration of well-being, the appearance of wheezing and shortness of breath.
For information
In order to make such a diagnosis, the listed symptoms or auscultation alone are not enough. An additional examination is often prescribed, for example, chest X-ray, tracheobronchoscopy, laboratory sputum examination. If we are talking about allergic tracheobronchitis, then it is necessary to identify the main and cross allergens, for which appropriate tests are carried out.
To treat the disease, both pharmacotherapy is used, which involves the use of expectorants and mucolytics, as well as antihistamines in case of an allergic form, and non-drug methods. The latter include therapeutic breathing exercises, massage, etc.
When considering tracheobronchitis, types, symptoms and methods of treatment, it is necessary to take into account comorbidities and complications.
Views
Depending on which pathogens led to the development of the disease, there are such types of tracheobronchitis as:
- infectious, caused by bacterial, viral or mixed origin of infection;
- allergic, in which inflammation is caused by a specific reaction of the immune systemto stimuli;
- combined forms.
The disease can be acute or chronic. Considering acute tracheobronchitis, the treatment and symptoms of which are interconnected, it should be noted that it usually has an infectious origin, and viruses in this case play a crucial role.
The peak incidence of this form usually falls on the off-season, due to the fact that the number of cases of SARS is increasing. Moreover, it is known that inflammatory processes usually spread to the bronchi or trachea from the upper respiratory tract, which are the first to suffer with viruses.
But allergic tracheobronchitis, the signs of which will be discussed below, is usually chronic or recurrent. The first option means that the irritant is present almost all the time in the body or the environment.
Recurrent nature means periodic exposure to this causative factor (for example, seasonal flowering of plants whose pollen causes similar reactions).
Reasons
If there is tracheobronchitis, the symptoms and causes of this disease should be considered in detail. After all, it is necessary to eliminate those factors that cause pathology. For example, an acute form of infectious tracheobronchitis usually occurs as a result of influenza, adenovirus infection, measles. Less commonly, it accompanies whooping cough, mycoplasma and chlamydial pathogens.
There is a purulent form of tracheobronchitis. However, it is practically man-made, since the main reason is the long-term use of such a method as artificial ventilation.lungs. Moreover, such a disease develops quite often, in about 35-40% of people who have undergone such an intervention.
Due to the fact that this procedure disrupts the evacuation of secretions from the bronchi, sometimes even aspiration into the respiratory tract of part of the gastric contents. This contributes to the fact that pathogenic microbes begin to actively multiply there and an inflammatory process develops.
As already noted, chronic tracheobronchitis often develops in smokers, as well as in those who work in heavy industries and are forced to breathe dusty or polluted air. But nicotine or the mentioned pollutants are not actually allergens (although some chemical agents can cause similar reactions).
Provoking factors
Allergic tracheobronchitis is directly caused by respiratory allergies, and it occurs through contact with agents such as:
- house dust;
- plant pollen (this effect is given not only by ragweed, but also by other cereals, as well as birch catkins, dandelions, other herbs, shrubs and trees);
- pet hair;
- air fresheners, perfumes, household chemicals in the form of sprays that may contain allergens;
- mold.
The allergic form of tracheobronchitis must be distinguished from the toxic-chemical one. With the latter, the respiratory tract is damaged by some kind of toxic substances, for example, military or industrial.
Parents often worry about obstructive bronchitis in children, symptoms and treatment. Bronchitis, indeed, in babies due to allergic reactions occurs very often. And in addition, the development of any form of tracheobronchitis is facilitated by factors such as hypothermia, increased nervous and physical stress, typical for schoolchildren, weakened immunity and hypovitaminosis, when the child lacks vitamins and minerals.
What happens when you get sick
Pathological changes in allergic tracheobronchitis occur mainly in the medium and large bronchi, while the mucous membranes of the small bronchi are intact. Thus, bronchospasms, which in everyday life are called asthma attacks, do not occur with an allergic form.
The pathogenesis of the disease has certain features. If, in the infectious form, the mucous membranes of the tracheobronchial tree turn red over the entire surface, then the chronic form, including the allergic one, is characterized by a pale pink tint.
In addition, unlike the disease of bacterial origin, in this case there is no purulent secret in the lumen of the bronchi. In general, the described features only make it difficult to diagnose allergic tracheobronchitis.
Even with this form, the mucous membrane remains edematous and loose, often there is an increase in mucus production. Over time, tissues undergo serious changes, and they do not necessarily atrophy (although this happens often), sometimes hypertrophic processes are observed. But there is no increase in the chest.
Symptomatics
If there is tracheobronchitis, signs, treatment anddiagnosis must be considered in great detail, as the disease can have unpleasant consequences.
The acute form usually develops as a complication of another infectious pathology, and its signs are observed within two or three weeks, sometimes it happens that they stop only after a month. A disease becomes chronic when its symptoms have been observed for at least three months.
Acute tracheobronchitis is manifested by symptoms such as sore throat, nasal congestion, pain when swallowing, hoarseness in the voice. And the cough will be dry and painful. Body temperature slightly elevated.
After a few days, the clinical picture changes. The cough becomes wet and productive. But a person has feelings of weakness, there is a general deterioration in well-being. Pneumonia can develop as a complication.
How to tell the difference
In order for the treatment of bronchitis in adults at home to be successful, it is necessary to distinguish between an acute form of the disease and a chronic one. In this case, the allergic type of the disease is just chronic. It is characterized by alternating periods of remission and exacerbation.
In remission, the symptoms may be mild - the maximum will be periodic coughing. But with an advanced form of the disease, shortness of breath during physical exertion or periodic pain in the chest may appear.
In the allergic form, exacerbation occurs directly upon contact with the allergen. Some symptoms will be the same as for other types of chronic bronchitis.- Weakness, increased sweating. Dry unproductive cough comes to the fore. There may be additional symptoms that are characteristic of any other allergic reaction:
- rhinitis with clear liquid nasal discharge;
- watery eyes and redness of the eyes;
- skin rashes accompanied by intense itching.
Body temperature remains normal or rises slightly. At the same time, there are no attacks of suffocation. A blood test will show an increased level of eosinophils depending on the intensity of the reaction.
Diagnosis of disease
If there is tracheobronchitis, treatment can be started only after a full diagnosis. To do this, you need to take into account all the history data, for example, whether the child's parents have allergies, whether there have been cases of such reactions in the patient before, when and under what conditions contact with allergens could occur. The doctor also takes into account the clinical and auscultatory picture.
If in acute tracheobronchitis, radiography is practically not prescribed, then in any chronic forms, including allergic, it is considered quite informative, since the pulmonary pattern is deformed with a prolonged illness. In addition, it confirms the presence or absence of infiltrative changes in the lungs.
However, a more informative method in such cases is tracheobronchoscopy. It helps to identify swelling of the mucous membrane characteristic of the allergic form, the presence of other changes, including fibrinousoverlays.
But if a purulent secret is revealed at the same time, this will help to exclude the allergic form, since this does not happen with it.
Do I need to conduct laboratory tests
Many believe that laboratory tests are carried out only in acute infectious form of tracheobronchitis. Actually it is not. In the allergic form, on the contrary, additional tests are performed. For example, skin allergy tests are done.
Microscopic examination of sputum is also needed to exclude cancer and oncological diseases, as well as bronchial asthma, which is directly related to allergic reactions. Only sputum culture in this case is not necessary.
Treatment
How to treat allergic tracheobronchitis? This is an urgent question for those who are faced with a similar disease. In this case, only medication is prescribed, which, in the absence of complications, can be carried out at home, as well as physiotherapy methods.
First, you need to take antihistamines. Basically, we are talking about second and third generation drugs - Claritin, Zirtek, Gistafen, for children - Fenistil, which can be given starting from the age of two months.
Secondly, bronchodilators may be prescribed. For example, the drug "Eufillin" is popular.
Third, so as not to be disturbed by a dry cough,drugs are prescribed that directly affect the cough center of the brain. It used to be Codeine, but it has serious side effects. Today, the safe and effective "Sinecode" is used instead.
Physiotherapeutic measures include therapeutic breathing exercises, UV therapy, electrophoresis, vibration massage and oxygen therapy.
Disease prevention
To prevent allergic tracheobronchitis, you need to avoid contact with the allergen, walk where there are no plants whose pollen leads to such reactions.
It is necessary to get rid of carpets, heavy curtains, decorative pillows and other dust collectors at home. Wet cleaning should also be carried out regularly.
