Bronchophony is normal - this is the absence of an indefinite hum when listening to a person's chest during a conversation. In this case, the voice is heard at two symmetrical points on both sides equally. Most often, bronchophony is determined during a conversation in a whisper, while in the words there should be hissing sounds "w" and "h". Consider the features of the disease and research methods.
What is bronchophony
You can determine the patency of the bronchi with a stethoscope while listening to the chest. In this case, respiration is observed at certain symmetrical points of the lungs. Often the doctor makes a conclusion: "bronchophony is normal." This means that when you listen to the device there is no hum. That is, the voice is freely passed through the air column of the bronchi. In this case, the patient is forced to pronounce the words containing the sounds "p", "w" and "h", but in a whisper.
Bronchophony is similar to voice trembling, but is determined by a different method. Most often, this indicator is an early, and sometimes the only factor that may indicate a compaction of the lung tissue. It is this shell that is a good conductor of sounds, and when pronounced by the patient, they will be clearly audible. Experts note that pneumonia can be recognized in this way, since the hum rises before physical symptoms (fever, weakness, and cough).
Varieties of bronchophony in shades:
- amphorophony - characterized by loud and clear sound;
- pectorilkovia - sound with a metallic tint;
- Egophony - nasal sound and rattling.
Methods for determining bronchophony
You are wondering what it is - “bronchophony is normal” - and how to determine it? The answer will be directly from the therapist. He checks the patient with a stethoscope at two symmetrical points on the chest. A voice is formed in the upper part of the respiratory organs and, like bronchial breathing, is conducted to the chest. If the lung does not conduct sounds well, they will not be heard or distorted, that is, the words will not be made out.
An important condition for bronchial respiration and bronchophony is the conductivity of the bronchi. Any distortion of the voice, hum instead of words of a different shade indicates the development of a certain pathology.
You can determine bronchophony with a simple stethoscope, but better with a phonendoscope. This is a newer device equipped with a membrane for good listening to sounds. Normally, a whisper is heard where bronchial breathing is. If the sounds of air and liquid are simultaneously determined, this indicates hydropneumothorax.
Symptomatology
It is possible to determine bronchophony (normal or not) by listening to both a loud voice and a whisper. In a healthy person, when pronouncing, for example, the phrase “cup of tea”, it is impossible to clearly distinguish words, only incoherent speech will be heard. If the words that are pronounced in a whisper become distinguishable or voice tremor is heard, we can talk about the accumulation of fluid in the pleural cavity (pneumothorax) or obstructive atelectasis.
With the help of bronchophony, it is possible at an early stage to diagnose the processes of compaction of the lung tissue, through which all sounds pass quite clearly.
In general, in patients of the pulmonary department, that is, those who have problems with the respiratory system, bronchophony does not appear normally in the history of the disease - the indicator either increases (with pneumonia, tuberculosis), or weakens (with pleurisy, pneumothorax). The study is also carried out on physiological parameters, such as heart rate, fever, cough with wheezing or hard breathing.
Diagnostics
Listening to a voice with a stethoscope or phonendoscope is an effective method for diagnosing pathologies associated with the respiratory system in adults and children. Bronchophony is normal - this is the absence of clearly distinguishable sounds.
Due to the manifestation of the resonance effect, it can be heard over the formed cavities that contain air. An amphoric sound (crisp and clear) appears with a resonant effect over an empty cavity. There may also appear a metallic echo, which professionals call pectorilocia. The nasal shade and rattling above the highest border of a pleural whisper is heard with egophony.
How is the procedure
To determine that the bronchophony is normal, the therapist listens to the voice, applying a phonendoscope on the right side in the area above the collarbone. In this case, the patient must pronounce the words with hissing sounds in a whisper, and the doctor, meanwhile, moves the device to a symmetrical point on the left. After this, an analysis of the results is carried out, normally they should be the same.
If noises, wheezing, whistling are heard, then an additional examination in the form of an x-ray, fluorogram or tests may be needed to clarify or confirm the diagnosis. If the patient is tormented by a cough and sputum goes away, it may be necessary to study the contents for the correct appointment of therapy.
Sputum examination allows you to determine the nature of the pathological process that affected the respiratory system. Most often, it is taken in the morning before meals and even before rinsing the mouth. With tuberculosis, since sputum is excreted in a very small amount, the patient can collect it for two days. The biomaterial is examined not only for bacterial contents, but its character (color, texture, smell) is also evaluated.
We decipher the results
The interpretation of the study of the respiratory system (that is, is bronchophony normal) is carried out directly by the attending physician. At home, due to ignorance of some deviations, it is difficult to determine, since wheezing and sounds conducted through the bronchi can have different shades.
For example, dry wheezing indicates bronchitis or asthma. Wet echoes indicate more serious pathologies in the form of tuberculosis, severe bronchitis or SARS. During pneumonia, a whistle is heard.
An increase in bronchophony may indicate a compaction of lung tissue (pneumonia, fibrosis, pulmonary infarction, infiltrative tuberculosis), air in the cavity that leads to the bronchi (open pneumothorax, abscess, cavernum, bronchiectasis) and lung tissue collapse as a result of compression (compression atelectasis) .
Weakening of bronchophony indicates obstruction of the bronchus (obstructive atelectasis), fluid, air, connective tissue in the pleural cavity (exudative pleurisy, hemothorax, closed pneumothorax, hydropneumothorax, fibrothorax).
Ausculation
"Bronchophonia is normal, what is it?" - Frequently asked question for respiratory diseases. This indicator is determined by a listening method called auscultation. It does not include sounds that relate to coughing, sneezing, rumbling in the intestines, loud breathing, which are heard from a distance. Only those sounds are heard that are heard inside our body using the apparatus (stethoscope or phonendoscope).
Such sounds were noticed at the beginning of our era, but for a long time they were not used as a diagnostic method in the study of patients. Auscultation becomes a diagnostic method for pathologies associated with the lungs only at the beginning of the 19th century. Around the same time, a stethoscope was invented, with which it was possible to listen to internal sounds, evaluate their nature and determine the pathology.
Auscultation Methods:
- direct (direct) - listening to internal sounds with an ear attached to the patient’s body;
- mediocre (instrumental) - performed using a stethoscope and phonendoscope.
Auscultation is carried out in a warm room, where there are no extraneous sounds, on the patient’s naked chest. First, an assessment of the main sounds is formed, and only then additional ones, in the form of echoes of a different nature and noise.