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11/19/2018 Bronchospasm: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments

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What Is Bronchospasm?
Medically reviewed by Gerhard Whitworth, RN on November 6, 2018
— Written by Stephanie Watson

Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Treatment and management


Bronchospasm When to see your doctor

Overview
Bronchospasm is a tightening of the muscles that line the airways
(bronchi) in your lungs. When these muscles tighten, your airways narrow.

v 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.

w Bronchospasm often affects people with asthma and allergies. It


contributes to asthma symptoms like wheezing and shortness of breath.
z
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Symptoms of bronchospasm
When you have Abronchospasm,
DVERTISEMENT your chest feels tight, and it can be hard 

to catch your breath. Other symptoms include:

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11/19/2018 Bronchospasm: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments

wheezing (a whistling sound when you breathe)


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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 emphysema
v
chemical fumes

general anesthesia during surgery
w infection of the lungs or airways
z exercise

 cold weather
smoke inhalation from a fire

smoking, including tobacco and illicit drugs


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11/19/2018 Bronchospasm: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments

Diagnosing bronchospasm NEWSLETTER

To diagnose bronchospasm, you can see your primary care doctor or a


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 well 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 volume test. This test measures how much oxygen your lungs
can hold.

v 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.
w
Pulse oximetry. A device is clipped onto your finger to measure the
z oxygen level in your blood.

 Eucapnic voluntary 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.

You might also have one of these tests:

Chest X-ray. Your doctor will use this to look for pneumonia or
other signs of infection.

CT scan. This test uses X-rays to look for problems in your lungs.

Treating bronchospasm

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Your doctor may treat your bronchospasm with medicines that widen your
airways and help you breathe easier, including:
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11/19/2018 Bronchospasm: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments

Short-acting bronchodilators. These medicines are used for quick


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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. These 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.

Oral or intravenous steroids. These may be required if your


bronchospasm is severe.

If you get exercise-induced bronchospasm, take your short-acting


medicine about 15 minutes before you work out.

v You might need to take antibiotics if you have a bacterial infection.

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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
A D V E R T Iafterward.
SEMENT

If you have allergies, don’t exercise when the pollen count is high.

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11/19/2018 Bronchospasm: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments

Drink lots of water throughout the day to loosen up any mucus in


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your chest.

Exercise indoors on very cold days. Or wear a scarf over your nose
and mouth when you go outside.

If you smoke, ask your doctor for advice to help you quit. Stay away
from anyone who is smoking.

If you’re age 65 or older, or you have a chronic lung disease or


immune system problem, stay up to date on your pneumococcal
and influenza vaccines.

When to see your doctor


Call your doctor if you have symptoms of bronchospasm that limit your
daily activities or don’t clear up in a few days.
v
Also call if:

you have a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher
w you’re coughing up a lot of dark-colored mucus
z
Call 911 or go to an emergency room if you have these symptoms:

chest pain when you breathe
coughing up bloody mucus

trouble catching your breath

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