The 7 Main Causes of Bronchiectasis!
Bronchiectasis is a condition in which the bronchi in the lung are damaged by inflammation or other causes and the smooth muscles of the bronchi are destroyed. In addition, the elasticity of the bronchi is often lost. Bronchiectasis can be acquired or have a genetic origin. Many doctors consider bronchiectasis to be a form of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD ); Includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
Causes of Bronchiectasis: Bronchiectasis is often part of a disease that affects the entire body. It is divided into two categories: cystic fibrosis (CF)-bronchiectasis and non-CF bronchiectasis. Bronchiectasis can develop in the following conditions:
- Humoral immunodeficiency (low levels of infection-fighting proteins in the blood)
- Inflammatory bowel disease ( Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis)
- Rheumatologic diseases ( rheumatoid arthritis and Sjögren’s disease)
- Alpha1-antitrypsin disease (a genetic cause of COPD in some people)
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD
- HIV infection
- Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (a type of allergic lung inflammation )
Symptoms of Bronchiectasis: The most common symptoms of bronchiectasis are:
- Coughing up yellow or green mucus every day
- Shortness of breath that worsens during exacerbations
- Feeling bored or tired, especially during exacerbations
- Fever and/or chills, often developing during exacerbations
- Wheezes or a hiss as you breathe
- Coughing up blood or mucus mixed with blood, a condition called hemoptysis
Diagnosed Bronchiectasis: Health care providers may use various tests to diagnose bronchiectasis and help determine the cause. These tests may include:
- Blood tests to check for conditions associated with bronchiectasis
- Chest CT (or CAT) scan or X-ray to look at the structure of the lung
- Collection of mucus (sputum) to check for the growth of bacteria or other microbes
Bronchiectasis Treatments: Treatment of bronchiectasis includes controlling bronchial infections and secretions, relieving airway obstructions, removing affected portions of the lung by surgical removal or artery embolization, and preventing complications. Prolonged use of antibiotics prevents harmful infections and decreases hospitalizations in people with bronchiectasis, but it also increases the risk that people will become infected with drug-resistant bacteria.
Other treatment options include elimination of accumulated fluid with postural drainage and chest physiotherapy. Postural drainage techniques, assisted by physiotherapists and respiratory therapists, are an important treatment support. Airway removal techniques seem helpful. Surgery can also be used to treat localized bronchiectasis, removing obstructions that can cause disease progression.
Inhaled steroid therapy that is consistently adhered to can reduce sputum production and decrease airway constriction over a period of time and help prevent the progression of bronchiectasis.
This is not recommended for routine use in children. A commonly used therapy is beclomethasone dipropionate. While not approved for use in any country, dry mannitol inhalation powder has been given orphan drug status for use in people with bronchiectasis and with cystic fibrosis.
Prevention of Bronchiectasis: To prevent bronchiectasis, children should be immunized against measles, whooping cough, pneumonia, and other acute childhood respiratory infections. While smoking has not been found to be a direct cause of bronchiectasis, it is certainly an irritant that all patients should avoid in order to prevent the development of infections (such as bronchitis) and other complications.
Treatments to slow the progression of this chronic disease include keeping bronchial airways clear and secretions weakened through various forms of pneumotherapy. Aggressive treatment of bronchial infections with antibiotics to prevent the destructive cycle of infection, damage to the bronchial tubes and further infection is also standard treatment.
Regular vaccination against pneumonia, influenza, and whooping cough is generally recommended. A healthy body mass index and regular medical visits can have beneficial effects in preventing bronchiectasis in progress. The presence of hypoxemia, hypercapnia, the level of dyspnea, and the radiographic extent can greatly affect the mortality rate of this disease.