Do you know the 3 causes of 'bronchiectasis'?

 

Bronchiectasis is a disease in which the bronchi are dilated and do not return to their original state due to various causes. The center of the symptoms is cough or sputum, but sometimes a fever may appear. Symptoms of bronchiectasis are very similar to those of a cold. However, there are cases where the disease progresses by repeating the inflammation caused by the infection. When you have symptoms of concern, it is better not to judge yourself as 'just a cold', but to see a respiratory doctor. This time, we will explain what kind of disease bronchiectasis is, including causes and treatments.

What is bronchiectasis?

The bronchus is the tube that connects the nose and mouth to the lungs. The bronchi branch like branches and serve as a passageway to carry air into the lungs. Bronchiectasis is a condition in which the bronchi are enlarged due to various causes and cannot return to their original state. If bronchiectasis is left untreated, bacteria and fungi grow in the enlarged part of the bronchi. As a result, the disease progresses by causing inflammation and repeating the infection. As the disease progresses, the proliferated bacteria or fungi spread to the lungs and cause pneumonia, which in some cases damages the lungs.

What are the symptoms of bronchiectasis?

In some cases, fever may appear with cough or sputum at the center of the symptoms. Because of the constant coughing, there are symptoms such as difficulty breathing or the discharge of sticky yellow or green sputum that is not normally seen. Also, when an infectious disease occurs, the amount of sputum increases and the blood vessels in the bronchial tubes also increase due to inflammation. As a result, symptoms such as blood sputum or hemoptysis (rack: coughing up blood with vomiting) may develop.

Can bronchiectasis cause other diseases?

Chronic sinusitis is often combined with bronchiectasis. Combining chronic sinusitis is accompanied by nasal symptoms such as chronic nasal congestion or pus-like runny nose. In addition, as bronchiectasis progresses, it may lead to complications of pneumonia, lung abscesses, and lung infections such as empyema.

Causes of bronchiectasis

The causes of bronchiectasis can be divided into three categories:

• Congenital substance with dilated bronchi from birth
• Caused by acquired causes
• continuing to develop other diseases

congenital bronchiectasis

Congenital causes of bronchiectasis include congenital diseases such as primordial fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, and immune disorders. Piliary insufficiency syndrome is a congenital disease that affects the mucous membrane of the airways and is characterized by repeated lung infections.

Acquired bronchiectasis

The most important cause of acquired infection is respiratory tract infection. In particular, airway infectious diseases occurring among infants and young children with developing bronchi are likely to be the cause, and bronchiectasis develops due to repeated infections in the bronchi.

• In addition, the following may cause bronchiectasis:
• mid-lobe syndrome
• Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis
• obstructive bronchiolitis
• Swyer-James syndrome
• Prolonged insertion of a bronchial foreign body

bronchiectasis, which continues to develop with other diseases

Bronchiectasis may develop following diseases such as pulmonary tuberculosis, pneumoconiosis, and pneumoconiosis.

Examination subjects for bronchiectasis

See a respiratory physician. Among internal medicine, respiratory internal medicine is a medical department that specializes in respiratory diseases that occur in the respiratory tract and lungs. In the case of an acute illness such as a cold, you can see a general internal medicine doctor, but if the cough lasts more than 2 weeks, it is highly likely that a respiratory disease such as pneumonia or asthma is the cause, so it is recommended to see a respiratory internal medicine doctor. Also, if you have strong symptoms such as coughing that does not stop, coughing so badly that you can't sleep, coughing continues and you have difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, it is recommended to see a respiratory internal medicine doctor.

Sex differences and number of occurrences of bronchiectasis

Bronchiectasis is more common in women than men, and it is known that about 25,000 people are affected. It is also known that people who have had repeated respiratory infections in childhood or who have chronic sinusitis are more likely to develop it.

Examination of bronchiectasis

Symptoms such as cough, sputum, blood sputum, and hemoptysis are checked, and chest X-ray examination and chest CT examination are performed to check whether the bronchi are dilated. In addition, when an infectious disease is suspected, a sputum culture test is performed to determine the type of causative bacteria. In particular, when the symptoms of hemoptysis are strong, angiography is sometimes performed to check the degree of dilation of blood vessels.

Treatment of bronchiectasis

The secretions accumulated in the bronchi become a place for bacteria to multiply and stimulate the airways, causing coughing symptoms. Therefore, we perform respiratory rehabilitation treatment such as administration of expectorants that make sputum easier to come out, and the positional evacuation method. Mild injuries with few subjective symptoms may be followed up. Medications other than expectorant medications include the use of small amounts of macrolide antibiotics to suppress inflammation and relieve symptoms. When an infectious disease is combined, the causative organism is identified by examination, and an appropriate antibiotic is selected and treated. If blood sputum or hemoptysis is seen, a hemostatic agent is used. If hemoptysis does not stop even after drug treatment or respiratory rehabilitation, surgical treatment such as bronchial horn hemostasis, bronchial artery embolization, or surgical resection is considered.

Are there any precautions to be taken during the treatment of bronchiectasis?

Drugs that are often used in the treatment of bronchiectasis may contain the same ingredients as commercially available cold medicines. Also, some antibiotics are less effective or more likely to cause side effects when combined with drugs or supplements. If you wish to use over-the-counter medications or supplements during treatment, consult your doctor, pharmacist, or registered seller before use.

In the treatment of bronchiectasis, prevention of progression to respiratory failure due to lung damage is of paramount importance. Therefore, it is necessary to control the recurrence of exacerbation of infection symptoms as much as possible, and the success of treatment depends on the ability to continue treatment on a daily basis. Patients are also required to actively participate in treatment, such as performing respiratory rehabilitation at home or taking medications so that they do not forget to eat.

organize

Bronchiectasis is a disease in which the bronchi remain dilated and do not return. The center of symptoms is cough or sputum, but blood sputum, hemoptysis, and fever may also appear. The initial symptoms of bronchiectasis are very similar to those of a cold, but as the disease progresses, it can damage the lungs and lead to respiratory failure. Therefore, it is important to control the symptoms with treatment such as medication or respiratory rehabilitation. It is known that people who have had recurrent airway infections in childhood or who have chronic sinusitis are more likely to develop the disease. If you have phlegm or cough that persists for a long time, or blood sputum, etc., you should see a respiratory internal medicine doctor as soon as possible.