Bronchiectasis - Causes and Complications

Bronchiectasis is a condition resulting from damage to the bronchi and bronchial tubes. These segments of the airway at the top level of the chest carry air into the lungs after it has passed down the throat through the windpipe.

Bronchiectasis is bronchial damage that prevents them from delivering air properly. The walls of the bronchi become permanently widened (dilated), scarred or inflamed. The bronchi may even collapse. Bronchiectasis is characterized by the production of large quantities of sputum (mucus, phlegm, etc.).. The disease can spread or may affect only a small area. It usually causes a dilatation of the bronchi of medium size, but the smaller bronchi may bear scars or even be destroyed.

Causes of Bronchiectasis

The disease manifests itself in various ways, because it is caused by various disorders. Bronchiectasis is caused by many disease states. The most common cause is chronic or recurring infection. These infections are often caused by immune system disorders, birth defects that affect the structure or function of the airways and contribute to the obstruction. Some cases result from the inhalation of toxic substances causing damage to the lungs. Here is a list of certain infections and diseases that can cause bronchiectasis:

1. Respiratory infections:
pertussis,
measles,
influenza,
TB
viral infection,
bacterial infection,
fungal infection,
mycoplasma infection.

2. Airway obstruction:
a lung tumor,
enlarged lymph glands,
inhalation of a foreign body,
mucus.

3. Genetic Diseases:
cystic fibrosis,
ciliary dyskinesia (including Kartagener syndrome)
alpha-1-antitrypine deficiency.

4. Immune problems:
immune deficiency syndromes,
abnormalities of white blood cells,
autoimmune diseases or hyperimmune (rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis).

5. Inhalation injury:
inhalation of toxic fumes, gases, or particulates,
inhalation of food or stomach acid.

6. Other disorders:
HIV infection,
addiction, such as heroin abuse.

Bronchiectasi and Abnormal Airway Function

Normally, the bronchial wall contains cells that protect the airways and lungs against harmful substances. Some of these cells produce mucus to trap foreign matter, while others remove the mucus from the airways.

In bronchiectasis, the bronchial wall becomes chronically inflamed or is destroyed. When this happens, the cells that remove mucus are damaged or die. The mucus forms a deposit and may cause more damage in the bronchial wall and spread the infection. Excess mucus may promote the growth of bacteria, which can obstruct the upper airway of the lungs (trachea) and cause a decreased level of oxygen in the blood.
At the same time, the bronchial inflammation can spread to the small air sacs of the lungs called alveoli. If this happens, pneumonia may develop and cause scarring and loss of lung tissue. In severe cases, the scar tissue and loss of blood vessels in the lungs also affect the heart.

Symptoms and Complications of Bronchiectasis

People who suffer from bronchiectasis usually have chronic productive cough. Bronchiectasis can develop at any time of life. It usually occurs in early childhood, though symptoms can appear later. They often appear after a bronchial infection and worsen over the years. Most people develop a chronic cough and secretions from the lungs. Coughing up blood is not unusual and is often the first or only symptom of the disease.

Sometimes people have a cough in the early morning and at night. Frequent pneumonia, wheezing or shortness of breath are also possible signs of bronchiectasis. Bronchiectasis is sometimes complicated by respiratory conditions like chronic bronchitis, asthma and emphysema. Very serious cases affect the heart ultimately leading to a heart failure.

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