Bronchospasm is a tightening of thee

muscles that line the airways (bronchi) in

your lungs. When these muscles tighten,
your airways narrow.

Narrowed airways don't let as much air

come in or go out of your lungs. This limits
the amount of oxygen that enters your
blood and the amount of carbon dioxide
that leaves your blood.

Bronchospasm often affects people with

asthma and allergies. It contributes to
asthma symptoms like wheezing and
shortness of breath.
Symptoms of bronchospasm

When you have bronchospasm, your chest

feels tight, and it be hard to catch your
can

breath. Other symptoms include:

wheezing (a whistling sound when

you breathe)
chest pain or tightness
.COughing
fatigue
CauseS of bronchospasm

Any swelling or irritation in your airways

can cause bronchospasm. This condition
commonly affects people with asthma.

Other factors that can contribute to

bronchospasm include:

allergens, such as dust and pet

dander

chronic obstructive pulmonary

disease (COPD), a group of lung
diseases that includes chronic
bronchitis and emphysemna

chemical fumes

general anesthesia during surgery

infection of the lungs or airways

exercise

Cold weather

smoke inhalation from a fire

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Diagnosing bronchospasm
To diagnose bronchospasm, you can see
your primary care doctor ora
pulmonologist (a doctor who treats lung
diseases). The doctor will ask about your
symptoms and find out if you have any
history of asthma or allergies. Then they
will listen to your lungs as you breathe in
and out.

You may have lung function tests to

measure how wel your lungs work. These
tests may include the following:

Spirometry. You breathe into a tube

that's connected to a device called a
spirometer. The spirometer measures
the force of the air as you breathe in
and out.

Lung volumetest. This test

measures how much oxygen your
lungs can hold.
Lung diffusion capacity. You breathe
in and out through a tube to see how
well oxygen gets into your blood.
Your doctor might also test your level
of hemoglobin- a protein that helps
transport oxygen in your blood.

Pulse oximetry. A device is clipped

onto your finger to measure the

oxygen level in your blood.

Eucapnicvoluntary
hyperventilation. This test is used to
diagnose exercise-induced
bronchospasm. You breathe in a
mixture of oxygen and carbon
dioxide to simulate breathing during
exercise. Your doctor will see if
breathing in this mixture affects your
lung function.
Treating bronchospasm
Your doctor may treat your bronchospasm
with medicines that widen your airways
and help you breathe easier, including:

Short-acting bronchodilators. These

medicines are used for quick relief of
bronchospasm symptoms. They start
working to widen the airways within a
few minutes, and their effects last for
up to four hours.

Long-acting bronchodilators. Thesse

medicines keep your airways open
for up to 12 hours but take longer to
start working.

Inhaled steroids. These drugs bring

down swelling in your airways. You
can use them for long-term control of
bronchospasm. They also take longer
to start working than short-acting
bronchodilators.
 Beta 2 agonists
Beta2-adrenergic agonists
Short acting (SABA) are
recommmended for bronchospasn
Terbutaline
Salbutamol
Levosalbutamol
Long acting (LABA)
Formoterol
Salmeterol
Others
Dopamine
Norepinephrine copO
PPnrine titrate to effect (e.g. 10-50 mca Iv). especially in setting of hemodynamic
increasing anesthetic depth
IV magnesium
Increase Fio2 to 100% and consider manual ventilation

Muscarinic Acetylcholine receptor antagonist

The neurotransmitter acetylcholine is known to decrease sympathetic response by slowing the heart rate a
constricting the smooth muscle tissue. Ongoing research and successful clinical trials have showm that ag
such as diphenhydramine, atropine and Ipratropium bromide (all of which act as receptor antagonist:
********
muscarinic acetylcholine receptors) are effeetive for treating asthma and COPD-related
synmptoms.
Preventing bronchospasm
Here are a few things you can do to
prevent bronchospasm:

.Warm up for 5 to 10 minutes before

you exercise, and cool down for 5 to
10 minutes afterward.

.Ifyou have allergies, don't exercise

when the pollen count is high.
Drink lots of water throughout the
day to loosen up any mucus in your
chest.

Exercise indoors on very cold days.

Or wear a scarf over your nose and
mouth when you go outside.

Ifyou smoke, ask your doctor for

advice to help you quit. Stay away
from anyone who is smoking.