What can I do to prevent my bronchospasm from coming back? (2023)

broncoespasmosThey occur when the airways constrict or narrow, causing shortness of breath.Bronchospasms can have many different causes, but some of the most common are asthma, allergies, and environmental irritants. They are usually controlled with an inhaled medication called a bronchodilator.

Bronchospasms cause a feeling of tightness in the chest and are usually accompanied by coughing. If your airways constrict too much, you won't be able to breathe deeply enough and you'll face a medical emergency because your oxygen levels are too low.

What are bronchospasms?

Bronchospasm is part of why it can be difficult to breathe when you have an asthma attack or allergic reaction. They happen when the muscles in the airways contract. This is what causes the airways to narrow.

If you've ever been in a home with old water pipes, you may hear a squealing noise as water flows through them. This high pitched noise is caused by narrow tubes. Like narrow water pipes, when your airways constrict during a bronchospasm, you'll hear a wheezing sound when breathing in, known as wheezing.

Bronchospasm interferes with these mechanisms, preventing the proper functioning of the respiratory system.

Symptoms of bronchospasm

Experiencing symptoms of bronchospasm can be very stressful and frightening as you will feel like you are not breathing enough. For this reason, you will usually need to seek emergency medical attention.

Common symptoms that may be associated with bronchospasm include:

• wheezing
• Chest tightness
• difficulty breathing
• heavy breathing (dyspnoea)

Fatigue and exhaustion are other less common and more subtle symptoms that can be associated with bronchospasm. Because these symptoms can be frightening, it's good to have a clear medical plan in place for prevention and treatment if you experience any of these symptoms.

What causes bronchospasm?

There are many potential causes of bronchospasm.asmait is a major contributor and risk factor for you to develop bronchospasm. However, just because you have asthma doesn't mean you will develop bronchospasm.

If you experience bronchospasm during surgery, your anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist will be properly trained to monitor your airway. You may need extra monitoring during the postoperative period if you had a bronchospasm during surgery.

Diagnosis

In most circumstances, the diagnosis of bronchospasm will be determined by a medical examination. When you are seen by a medical professional, you will have apulse oximeteron your finger to estimate the saturation of your blood cells with oxygen on your finger (although it could be a toe or attached to your forehead). Unless you have another underlying condition that restricts oxygen transfer in your lungs, your pulse oximeter reading should be greater than 90%.

If they don't get adequate readings, they can directly check the amount of oxygen in the arteries by drawing blood from an artery in the wrist, known as an arterial blood gas test.The wrist is a sensitive area and stings a little when removed. As the blood is taken from an artery, which has high pressure, they will apply pressure with gauze and apply a pressure bandage until the artery has time to heal.

If your doctor is concerned about other causes of wheezing or shortness of breath, you may want to have an X-ray. Other, more extensive testing is usually not needed during an acute episode of bronchospasm. However, you may be referred to a pulmonologist for further evaluation, such as a CT scan, lung function tests, or exercise tests to better identify the cause of your bronchospasm or symptoms.

Future episodes of bronchospasm may not require many tests other than monitoring your oxygen levels to ensure your safety.

Treatment

Treatment of bronchospasm usually begins with bronchodilators. These are inhaled medications that help open up the airways. The most commonly used bronchodilators are short-acting.beta2 agonistssuch as Ventolin or Proventil (albuterol).

If you have high blood pressure and are taking beta-blockers such as Lopressor (metoprolol) or Inderal (propranolol), tell your doctor, as these will block some of the effects of albuterol. You should also have a rescue inhaler with you to help delay emergencies, giving you time to seek medical attention if you have a repeat episode of bronchospasm.

If you have underlying asthma, you will likely also be given oral prednisone or methylprednisolone if an IV is needed to help reduce any inflammation related to the narrowing of the airways. Your doctor will likely also give you a gradual taper of prednisone over several days to help reduce your risk of recurrence.

if you are suffering fromhypoxiaand you are unable to maintain your oxygen levels (even with supplemental oxygen) due to severe constriction of your airways, you may be given a breathing tube (known as aintubation) to protect the airways and maintain adequate oxygen levels.

Albardilha

Experiencing a bronchospasm can be very frightening for you. The first thing you can do to deal with bronchospasms is to reduce their occurrence.

If you suffer from bronchospasm due to asthma, receiving proper treatment with inhalers or nebulizers, both long term and short term, will help to prevent further bronchospasm.

Alternative therapies

There are several groups that suggest that the use of breathing retraining techniques can be useful in reducing bronchospasm. One technique, in particular, had successful results in three of the four studies.

HeButeyko breathing techniquewas founded by Russian physician Konstantine Buteyko. He proposed that, in asthmatics, the worsening of shortness of breath was caused by hyperventilation.His technique is believed to cause hypoventilation, which increases levels of carbon dioxide in the blood, which can have a bronchodilatory effect to help minimize shortness of breath.

It is reported that using Buteyko's breathing retraining exercises can reduce your need for albuterol. People involved in these studies also reported an improvement in their asthma-related quality of life.There are several other techniques such as the Papworth Breathing Technique and the Pink City Lung Exerciser. However, these are not as well studied as the Buteyko method.

Yoga and acupuncture are two other alternative therapies that have limited information about their effectiveness in bronchospasm, although some believe they help reduce asthma-related symptoms. If you are a yoga practitioner, you may find that pranayama yoga breathing techniques are quite similar to Buteyko breath retraining and you can receive similar benefits.

Many different herbs and oils are believed to have bronchodilator effects. However, there is limited research showing the long-term effects of eating or inhaling them. While there are many small studies looking at the use of herbs and oils for a variety of ailments, they are not sufficiently studied to make recommendations.

A Word from Verywell

You may not always know that you are susceptible to bronchospasm before the first one. Seek emergency help if you experience shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. After its first occurrence, it is important to develop a plan of care with your physician to help reduce the risks of subsequent episodes of bronchospasm. You may find that alternative therapies such as breathing retraining or yoga can add additional help in managing your symptoms.