Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by pathogenic bacteria. A disappointing diagnosis can come as a complete surprise to a person, but it is important to understand that the disease is curable. The defeat of the bronchi in tuberculosis does not always occur and is considered more of a complication than a primary disease. What kind of pathology is this and how to deal with it is described in the article below.
Characteristics of the disease
Tuberculosis has been known for a very long time; in the course of the disease, the human respiratory organs are affected. This is a chronic infection that can also affect the genitourinary system, bones and joints, lymph nodes, or organs of vision.
Bacteria that cause the development of the disease are considered extremely resistant, they can exist outside the body for a long time without dying from environmental influences. However, it was found that under the influence of direct sunlight, microorganisms die, which allows the use of artificial ultraviolet in the treatment of the disease.
Bronchi often suffer from stick lesionsKoch against the background of the development of primary tuberculosis of the lungs or lymph nodes. However, there are cases of primary damage. Tuberculosis of the bronchi has a number of specific features that you need to pay attention to:
- The disease is equally dangerous for men and women. Age does not affect the possibility of infection.
- Statistics says that vaccination in childhood reduces the risk of contracting tuberculosis by about 2.5 times.
- More than 15% of cases are diagnosed as a complication of pulmonary tuberculosis.
- It is believed that people suffering from other forms of the disease are at risk, the chance of re-infection is an order of magnitude higher.
Doctors agree that early diagnosis plays a big role in further treatment and prognosis for recovery. Among the signs of bronchial tuberculosis, they separately focus on the formation of ulcers and fistulas in the tissues, which complicates the course of the disease.
Epidemiology of the disease
Medical statistics show that bronchial tuberculosis is quite common, it is diagnosed in 10% of cases in patients with various forms of intrathoracic disease.
Loss of the larynx, oropharynx or trachea are much less common. Research like this keeps the medical profession vigilant.
How is the disease transmitted?
Knowing how TB is transmitted is important. Such knowledge allows a person to independently assess the degree of risk to which he could be exposed in everyday life. A careful approach to this issue will prompt you to see a doctor in time for an examination.
It has been proven that tuberculosis of the bronchi, trachea and upper respiratory tract very rarely develops on its own, without affecting the lungs. Based on these data, it can be concluded that the disease is most often associated with external factors (infection). Based on clinical studies and pathological features, the methods of transmission and occurrence of bronchial tuberculosis are specific:
- Contact method. In this case, the disease grows into the bronchi from the already affected lymph nodes, trachea and other organs. The infection is transmitted through the tissues of nearby diseased organs.
- Bronchogenic or bronchial method. Pathogenic microorganisms enter the bronchi from sputum that passes through them during coughing fits.
- Hematogenous way. It is considered the most common method of secondary infection with tuberculosis. Enters the bronchi through the bloodstream from other affected organs.
- Lymphatic method. Microorganisms reach the bronchi through the lymph, which moves along the lymphatic pathways from the affected lymph nodes (most often the chest).
As mentioned above, people who have not been vaccinated and have a weakened immune system are susceptible to infection with tuberculosis of the bronchi and trachea. A person's lifestyle and living conditions have a great influence on the development of the disease.
Varieties of bronchial tuberculosis
This type of pathology is usually divided into severalspecies on which the overall clinical picture of the disease depends. Each type of disease has characteristic features:
- Infiltrative bronchial tuberculosis. This form of the disease is characterized by the absence of active excretion of bacteria with sputum, and the bronchial lumen remains practically unchanged. Most often, it affects certain parts of the bronchi, which at the same time thicken and thicken, and an infiltrate forms on their surface.
- Ulcerative form of pathology. The disease is local in nature, affecting the mouths of the bronchi. In advanced cases, it encounters a severe course of the disease, which is accompanied by the formation of ulcers and bleeding. This species is characterized by the presence of pathogenic microorganisms in the sputum.
- Fistulous bronchial tuberculosis. With such a disease, the bronchi are severely injured, their walls become extremely thin, which leads to the formation of fistulas on their surface. Often, a rupture of the lymph node leads to this form of the disease, and the constant deformation of the tissues of the bronchi leads to bronchogenic cirrhosis of the lungs.
Doctors separately pay attention to the fact that the symptoms of bronchial tuberculosis depend on the form in which the pathology proceeds. This fact has a great influence on the primary, and, moreover, on the early diagnosis of the disease.
Symptoms of disease
This type of tuberculosis is considered a very insidious disease, since in most cases it is not accompanied by vivid symptoms. In this case, the disease is chronic, that is, it develops in the body for a long time.time without proper medical supervision and treatment.
Medical statistics show that no more than 2% of all cases of bronchial lesions are acute and have vivid symptoms. The localization of the infection, the degree of tissue damage and the form of the disease have a great influence on the symptoms of bronchial tuberculosis.
Doctors recommend paying attention to a number of characteristic signs:
- Persistent bouts of coughing. At the same time, it is almost impossible to cope with it, conventional medicines do not help. The nature of the cough is barking, and the degree of its intensity increases significantly in the supine position.
- Frequent and pronounced shortness of breath that accompanies a person even with the slightest exertion.
- With tuberculosis of the bronchi and trachea, the patient's breathing is accompanied by a loud whistling sound. This symptom can be heard without resorting to special medical instruments.
- Coughing attacks are accompanied by the release of copious sputum, which has a viscous consistency. Depending on the type of disease in the sputum, there may be blood blotches (with an ulcerative form) or particles of calcium s alts (with a fistulous form).
- If the lymph nodes are affected during the course of the disease, then the person should feel a feeling of pain and burning between the shoulder blades.
If you find these symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor. Early diagnosis will make further treatment more effective. Specialists draw attention to the fact that the defeat of the bronchi with Koch's sticks is not accompanied by the usual for tuberculosis.signs. The patient can maintain the same body weight, the temperature can remain normal, therefore, there is no increased night sweating.
Doctors agree that the diagnosis of this disease is difficult and requires a multifaceted approach. In some cases, symptoms can be mistaken for ordinary bronchitis.
Diagnostic Methods
The diagnosis of bronchial tuberculosis is difficult even for a very experienced doctor, this disease has its own tricks and is successfully masked. For this reason, they resort to differential diagnosis of bronchial tuberculosis, which makes it possible to exclude false pathologies and timely establish the disease.
The lack of a clear clinical picture leads to the fact that the list of necessary procedures is quite wide:
- Urine and blood tests are definitely prescribed. This allows you to determine the general he alth of the patient.
- Perform X-ray tomography. This examination allows you to determine the degree of patency of the bronchi, the level of damage to their tissues, as well as the quality of ventilation.
- Bronchoscopy, which allows you to clarify the localization of the infection, more precisely determine the form of the disease.
- Biopsy of bronchial tissues, which is performed at the time of bronchoscopy as prescribed by the attending physician.
- Separately, sputum is analyzed. The laboratory establishes the presence of pathogenic microorganisms (Koch's sticks) in it.
- If there is not enough sputum, then a test for tuberculosis of wash water is carried outbronchi. For this, a certain amount of brine is introduced, which is sucked off with an aspirator. The laboratory determines the presence of microorganisms in the resulting liquid.
In combination with the above activities, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is performed, which determines the presence of antibodies in human blood. It is rarely used as an independent method for diagnosing bronchial tuberculosis; it can determine the presence of Koch's sticks, but does not tell the localization of the disease.
Features and types of treatment
In the case of a disappointing diagnosis, the doctor must approach the treatment in a comprehensive manner. As mentioned above, bronchial damage occurs mainly during secondary infection, that is, against the background of already developing pulmonary tuberculosis.
There are a number of basic activities that are carried out in the treatment of bronchial tuberculosis:
- Medical therapy is prescribed using various types of antibacterial drugs.
- Against the background of oral administration of tablets, local intervention with chemotherapy drugs is carried out. This approach is possible if the disease is clearly localized.
- In case of widespread infection, aerosol spraying of antimicrobial drugs into the respiratory tract is prescribed.
- Regular bronchoscopy allows for mechanical cleaning of the bronchi from accumulations of caseous masses.
- In severe disease and a strong narrowing of the lumen between the bronchi, laser cauterization of the affectedparts.
- The doctor prescribes the intake of vitamin complexes and immunomodulatory drugs. This allows you to provide the body with additional, but necessary assistance in a difficult period of illness.
The average course of medication lasts at least three months. During this time, bacteria can become resistant to the main components of drugs, which will reduce the effectiveness. The patient regularly takes tests, according to which the doctor adjusts the treatment.
It is important that the patient must be in a special tuberculosis dispensary during the entire period of therapy, especially if the disease is contagious. Vigilant constant monitoring by medical staff allows you to achieve the desired result in the shortest possible time.
With tuberculosis of the lungs and bronchi, relapses are not uncommon. Simple rules help to avoid an unwanted recurrence of the disease. Twice a year, the patient is required to undergo courses of antibiotic therapy. This approach is used for two years after recovery.
Diet plays an important role in a patient's he alth. The body must constantly receive a full-fledged complex of useful vitamins, which will allow building the necessary immune defense.
Prognosis for recovery
A patient's chances of recovery depend on the stage at which the disease was diagnosed. Early diagnosis greatly facilitates treatment and reduces its duration. It is important to remember that bronchial tuberculosis most often acts as a complication of the pulmonaryforms.
Determining a person's ability to fully recover, the doctor will rely on the degree of primary damage to the respiratory tract and the severity of complications.
As medical practice shows, about 80% of patients recover successfully. An important role in this is played by the personal responsibility of the patient, it is necessary to strictly follow the recommendations of the doctor in order to recover and avoid relapses.
Specialists pay special attention to the fact that it is impossible to cure the disease on your own. The longer a person decides to visit a doctor, the less likely it is to completely get rid of the disease. If untreated, mortality can reach 50%.
The situation is much more complicated if a person has concomitant serious diseases (HIV, diabetes mellitus).
Consequences of bronchial tuberculosis
Tuberculosis can be cured. A person can return to a full life after a long stage of treatment and recovery. If the patient follows all the recommendations of the attending physician and does not neglect the indicated examinations, then there will be no consequences from the disease.
Disease prevention
Preventive measures aimed at combating the spread of tuberculosis are carried out everywhere. Medical institutions recommend regular preventive examinations, in particular, fluorography, which allows you to determine if the patient has signs of illness.
Another important method of prevention is vaccination, the effect of which begins actively throughseveral months after administration. Studies have found that vaccinated people have the most mild form of the disease, or infection does not occur at all.
Chemoprophylaxis measures are provided for risk groups.
An important role in strengthening one's own body is played by lifestyle, the presence of bad habits, as well as working conditions. For the prevention of tuberculosis, it is recommended to consider these aspects especially carefully and take the necessary measures.
