What is Bronchiectasis?
Bronchiectasis is a condition where there is permanent widening and damage to the bronchi and respiratory tract. This condition causes mucus to build up in the lungs.
Shortness of breath and persistent coughing up phlegm are the two conditions that most often appear when someone experiences bronchiectasis.
The respiratory system itself has a way of protecting itself to catch bacteria that come from outside air by producing mucus.
This mucus will flow out of the lungs and respiratory tract under normal conditions.
Meanwhile, in people with bronchiectasis, the damage causes the function to not run optimally. As a result, mucus builds up in the lungs.
Symptoms of Bronchiectasis
Symptoms of bronchiectasis often only appear several months or even years after the sufferer has had repeated or recurring respiratory tract infections.
The most frequently seen symptoms of bronchiectasis are:
- Cough accompanied by the production of pale yellow, greenish, or clear phlegm. Cough occurs every day.
- A cough condition accompanied by blood.
- Recurrent or recurring respiratory tract infections.
- Hard to breathe.
- Wheezing or wheezing.
- Having chest pain.
- Weight loss.
- There are changes in the tips of the toes.
Causes of Bronchiectasis
Bronchiectasis disease occurs due to damage to the respiratory tract and bronchial walls.
Unfortunately, it is not yet known for certain what the cause is.
However, most cases of these health problems occur due to the following reasons:
- Wet lungs or pneumonia.
- Tuberculosis or TB.
- Suffering from whooping cough.
- Having cystic fibrosis.
- The presence of primary ciliary dyskinesia, which is a condition of abnormality that occurs in the cilia or fine hairs in the respiratory tract.
- Weak body immunity.
- Having a history of or suffering from COPD and autoimmune health problems.
- Disturbances in lung development since being in the womb.
- Problems with connective tissue, such as Sjogren’s syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, and Crohn’s disease.
- Having measles.
- There is a blockage in the respiratory tract, for example due to a tumor.
- Suffering from allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis.
Diagnosis of Bronchiectasis
At the start of the examination, the doctor will of course ask about various complaints experienced, such as how often the cough occurs and whether it is accompanied by phlegm or blood.
In addition, the doctor also asks what type of medication is being taken and whether the patient has a history of other medical conditions.
After that, the doctor will try to hear the sounds in the lungs using a stethoscope.
Usually, the breath sounds that emerge from the respiratory tract of a person with bronchiectasis are different from the breath sounds from healthy lungs.
In order to find out what causes bronchiectasis and eliminate all possible complaints that occur due to other medical problems, doctors also perform additional examinations, such as:
- Blood tests to check for signs of infection.
- Sputum examination to determine the possible presence of fungi or bacteria in the sputum.
- Lung function tests are performed using a tool called spirometry.
- Autoimmune screening tests are performed to determine whether autoimmune is the cause of bronchiectasis.
- A sweat sample test is performed to determine the possibility that bronchiectasis is caused by cystic fibrosis.
- CT scan or chest X-ray to determine the condition of the lungs and respiratory tract.
- A bronchoscopy test is performed to determine whether there is bleeding or blockage in the airways.
Bronchiectasis Treatment
Treatment for bronchiectasis focuses on helping to relieve symptoms, addressing the underlying cause, and preventing complications.
The sooner the treatment is given, the greater the sufferer’s chance of avoiding more serious lung organ damage.
Treatment options for treating bronchiectasis include:
1. Medicines
Usually, drugs are prescribed by doctors to help treat the emergence of infections and relieve the symptoms that appear, such as:
- Antibiotics, either in injectable or oral form.
- Bronchodilators, such as theophylline, anticholinergics, and beta 2-adrenergic agonists.
- Expectorants or drugs to help thin mucus that can be taken together with decongestants or as a single drug.
2. Therapy
Apart from medication, bronchiectasis can also be treated with therapy, namely:
- Chest clapping therapy or chest patting.
- Active cycle of breathing technique (ACBT) therapy is a type of breathing therapy.
- Wearing a special vest.
- Using a breathing aid or positive expiratory pressure.
Not only that, bronchiectasis sufferers are also recommended to take these steps to help relieve the symptoms that appear:
- Do not smoke.
- Exercise regularly.
- Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.
- Consume food intake with balanced nutrition.
- Make sure to get a repeat flu vaccine every year.
- Make sure to get the pneumococcal vaccine which helps prevent the body from getting pneumonia.
3. Operation
Finally, the doctor may recommend undergoing surgery or an operation if the bronchiectasis condition only occurs in one part or lobe of the lung.
In addition, surgery is also performed if bronchiectasis sufferers do not experience improvement, even though they have taken medication or undergone therapy.
Surgery is performed by removing the part of the lung that has bronchiectasis.
However, it is important to note that these various treatment methods only help prevent bronchiectasis from getting worse.
This is because the damage to the lungs that occurs due to bronchiectasis is permanent and is considered difficult to cure.
Complications of Bronchiectasis
Without treatment, bronchiectasis will get worse and lead to the following complications:
- Hemoptysis or coughing up excessive blood.
- Atelectasis or a condition where part of the lung collapses and no longer functions.
- Lung abscess.
- Respiratory failure and heart failure.
Prevention of Bronchiectasis
If it occurs due to a birth defect, bronchiectasis cannot be prevented.
However, bronchiectasis caused by infection in the respiratory tract can certainly be prevented.
The way to do this is to avoid all things that trigger it, here are the steps:
- Avoid exposure to air pollution, including smoke from vehicles and factories.
- Do not smoke and avoid exposure to cigarette smoke.
- Get vaccinated to prevent the body from exposure to measles, tuberculosis, and whooping cough.
- Keep the respiratory tract free from exposure to harmful objects.
- Carry out regular check-ups and treatment if bronchiectasis is detected early so that it does not develop into something worse.
When to See a Doctor?
Immediately go to the nearest doctor or hospital if you have a cough with phlegm that does not go away and is accompanied by other symptoms.
An examination needs to be carried out immediately if other complaints arise, namely:
- The cough gets worse, with the appearance of greenish phlegm and an unpleasant odor.
- Experiencing severe chest pain that makes it difficult to breathe and painful when coughing.
- The body is very tired.
- Lips and skin turn bluish.
- Breathing becomes too rapid.
- The body has a fever.