It is a disease characterized by dilation of the bronchi. The most important symptoms are cough and sputum production. Phlegm is abundant, especially in the morning, and is mostly green in color. Since bronchial dilatation is a permanent condition, these complaints continue for years and in summer and winter. The normal structure of the bronchi is disrupted and the mechanisms that clean the bronchi are eliminated. This situation paves the way for bacteria to easily settle in the lower respiratory tract and multiply. For this reason, bronchiectasis patients suffer from frequently recurring lower respiratory tract infections. The presence of infection manifests itself with fever, increased cough and sputum, an increase in the amount and thickness of sputum, and a change in the color of sputum from green to yellow.
What are the Causes of Bronchiectasis?
The most common cause of bronchiectasis is severe and prolonged childhood illnesses. Especially measles and whooping cough predispose to the development of bronchiectasis. Thanks to the widespread use of childhood vaccines, there is a decrease in bronchiectasis that occurs due to these diseases.
Another cause of bronchiectasis is any form of stenosis in the bronchi: foreign body, enlarged lymph node and all kinds of abnormal tissue lesions beyond the stenosis. It causes enlargement of the bronchi.
Bronchiectasis may also develop in some congenital diseases (such as cystic fibrosis, anatomical disorders in the lung), immune system diseases, asthma, COPD and some systemic inflammatory diseases.
In every bronchiectasis patient, the cause of bronchiectasis should be investigated.
How is bronchiectasis diagnosed?
Clinical history, chest radiography and high-resolution computerized imaging. Definitive diagnosis is made by tomography. In the next stage, it may be necessary to perform a series of blood and imaging tests to determine the cause of bronchiectasis. Once the cause of bronchiectasis is understood, the treatment will vary accordingly.
How is bronchiectasis treated?
Since the enlargement of the bronchi is permanent, the definitive treatment is to surgically remove the area of the lung with bronchiectasis. However, surgery is only valid when it involves one or both lobes of a lung. Age of the patient in the presence of extensive areas of bronchiectasis Lung transplantation may be considered, taking into account the patient's health and general condition.
Other treatments can be grouped under several headings:
General Approach
- Prevention of active and passive smoking
- Adequate nutrition and consuming plenty of fluids
- Flu (influenza) and pneumonia (pneumococcal) vaccines
- Measles, whooping cough and chickenpox vaccines
- In advanced disease oxygen
- Monitoring of cystic fibrosis cases in special centers
Bronchial Hygiene (cleaning)
- Postural drainage: easy removal of sputum accumulated in the bronchi, especially in the mornings The patient is placed in a special position and given light blows to the chest area and back.
- Devices that increase the clearing mechanisms of the bronchi (flutter, incentive spirometry)
- In order to moisten the airways and thin the phlegm, physiological saline or Steam therapy (nebulization) with sputum softening drugs
- Recombinant DNase inhalation: Effective and useful in Cystic Fibrosis
Drugs
Antibiotic: used only in the presence of infection. However, in some patients, it can be applied at certain time intervals (for example, once a month) as a preventive measure.
Breathing drugs: In the advanced stages of bronchiectasis and during infection attacks, shortness of breath may also accompany the disease. In such cases, inhaled medications are added to the treatment.
Drugs that facilitate phlegm removal.
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