Allergic tracheobronchitis is a form of a fairly common inflammatory disease. With it, the mucous membrane of the tracheobronchial tree is affected by certain stimuli. It can be infections, nicotine or allergens.
Most often, tracheobronchitis is associated, of course, with smoking, less often - with acute respiratory infections of a bacterial or viral nature that a person has carried on his feet. But in some cases, inflammation of the mucous membrane of the trachea, bronchi and bronchioles occurs due to allergens that enter the respiratory system with air.
Basic information
Considering tracheobronchitis, its symptoms and causes, it should be noted that this inflammatory process is usually diffuse. That is, it does not have any specific localization foci, and it covers the mucous membranes of the lower airways almost completely.
The duration of the disease, especially its course, is usually directly related to its form. The main symptoms and treatment of tracheitis can also depend on what pathogens it is caused by, although there are a number of common signs - for example, cough (most often dry, although in some cases there may be sputum discharge), pain in the chest, sometimes an increase in temperature, general deterioration of health, the appearance of wheezing and shortness of breath.
For information
In order to make such a diagnosis, the listed symptoms or auscultation data alone are not enough. An additional examination is often prescribed, for example, chest x-ray, tracheobronchoscopy, laboratory examination of sputum. If we are talking about allergic tracheobronchitis, then it is necessary to identify the main and cross allergens, for which appropriate tests are carried out.
For the treatment of the disease, both pharmacotherapy, which involves the use of expectorant and mucolytic agents, as well as antihistamines with an allergic form, and non-drug methods are used. The latter include therapeutic respiratory gymnastics, massage, etc.
Considering tracheobronchitis, types, symptoms and treatment methods, it is necessary to take into account both concomitant diseases and complications.
Kinds
Depending on the pathogens that led to the development of the disease, such types of tracheobronchitis are distinguished as:
- infectious, caused by bacterial, viral, or mixed-origin infections;
- allergic, in which inflammation is caused by a specific reaction of the immune system to irritants;
- combined forms.
The disease can be acute or chronic. Considering acute tracheobronchitis, the treatment and symptoms of which are interrelated, it should be noted that it usually has an infectious origin, and viruses in this case play a crucial role.
The peak incidence of this form usually occurs in the offseason, due to the fact that the number of cases of SARS is increasing. Moreover, it is known that inflammatory processes usually spread to the bronchi or trachea from the upper respiratory tract, which are the first to suffer from viruses.
But allergic tracheobronchitis, the signs of which will be discussed below, is usually chronic or recurrent. The first option means that the stimulus is almost always present in the body or the environment.
Recurrent character means the periodic effect of this causative factor (for example, seasonal flowering of plants whose pollen causes similar reactions).
Causes
If there is tracheobronchitis, the symptoms and causes of this disease should be considered in detail. After all, it is necessary to eliminate those factors that cause pathology. For example, an acute form of infectious tracheobronchitis usually occurs as a result of influenza, adenovirus infection, measles. Less commonly, it accompanies whooping cough, mycoplasma and chlamydial pathogens.
There is a purulent form of tracheobronchitis. However, it is almost man-made, since the main reason is the long-term use of such a method as mechanical ventilation. Moreover, such a disease develops quite often, in about 35-40% of people who have undergone such an intervention.
Due to the fact that with this procedure, the secretion evacuation from the bronchi is disturbed, sometimes even aspiration of part of the gastric contents into the airways occurs. This contributes to the fact that pathogenic microbes begin to multiply actively there and an inflammatory process develops.
As already noted, chronic tracheobronchitis often develops in smokers, as well as those who work in heavy production and are forced to breathe dusty or gassed air. But nicotine or the mentioned pollutants are actually not allergens (although some chemical agents can cause similar reactions).
Provocative factors
Allergic tracheobronchitis is directly caused by a respiratory allergy, and it occurs when in contact with agents such as:
- house dust;
- plant pollen (not only ragweed, but also other cereal, as well as birch catkins, dandelions, other herbs, shrubs and trees give this effect);
- pet hair;
- air fresheners, perfumes, household chemicals in the form of sprays, which may contain allergens;
- mold.
The allergic form of tracheobronchitis must be distinguished from toxic-chemical. With the latter, the respiratory tract is damaged by some poisonous substances, for example, military or industrial.
Parents are often worried about obstructive bronchitis in children, symptoms and treatment. Bronchitis, indeed, in babies due to allergic reactions occurs very often. In addition, the development of any form of tracheobronchitis is facilitated by such factors as hypothermia, increased nervous and physical stress characteristic of schoolchildren, weakened immunity and hypovitaminosis, when the child lacks vitamins and minerals.
What happens with the disease?
Pathological changes in allergic tracheobronchitis occur mainly in the middle and large bronchi, while the mucous membranes of the small bronchi are intact. Thus, bronchospasm, which in everyday life is called asthma attacks, does not happen with an allergic form.
The pathogenesis of the disease has certain features. If with an infectious form, the mucous membranes of the tracheobronchial tree turn red over the entire surface, then the chronic form, including the allergic one, is characterized by a pale pink tint.
In addition, unlike a disease of bacterial origin, in this case there is no purulent secret in the lumen of the bronchi. In general, the described features only complicate the diagnosis of allergic tracheobronchitis.
Even with this form, the mucous membrane remains edematous and loosened, an increase in mucus production is often observed. Over time, the tissues undergo serious changes, and not necessarily they atrophy (although this happens often), sometimes hypertrophic processes are observed. But an increase in the chest is not observed.
Symptomatology
If there is tracheobronchitis, the symptoms, treatment and diagnosis should be considered in great detail, since the disease can have unpleasant consequences.
The acute form usually develops as a complication of another infectious pathology, and its symptoms are observed within two or three weeks, sometimes it happens that they stop only after a month. A chronic disease becomes when its symptoms are observed for at least three months.
Acute tracheobronchitis is manifested by symptoms such as sore throat, nasal congestion, pain when swallowing, hoarseness in the voice. And the cough will be dry and painful. Body temperature is slightly elevated.
After a few days, the clinical picture is changing. Coughing becomes wet and productive. But a person has a feeling of weakness, there is a general deterioration in well-being. As a complication, pneumonia can develop.
How to distinguish
In order for the treatment of bronchitis in adults at home to be successful, it is necessary to distinguish between an acute form of the disease and a chronic one. In this case, the allergic type of the disease is just chronic. It is inherent in the alternation of periods of remission and exacerbation.
In remission, symptoms may be mild - maximum it will be a periodic cough. But with the advanced form of the disease, dyspnea may occur during physical exertion or periodic pain in the chest.
In an allergic form, exacerbation occurs directly upon contact with an allergen. Some symptoms will be the same as for other types of chronic bronchitis - weakness, excessive sweating. Dry unproductive cough comes to the fore. Additional symptoms that are characteristic of any other allergic reactions are possible:
- rhinitis with clear, fluid discharge from the nose;
- lacrimation and redness of the eyes;
- skin rashes, accompanied by severe itching.
Body temperature remains normal or rises slightly. Attacks of suffocation do not occur. A blood test will show an increased level of eosinophils depending on the intensity of the reaction.
Diagnosis of the disease
If there is tracheobronchitis, treatment can only begin after a full diagnosis. To do this, you need to take into account all the data of the anamnesis, for example, is there an allergy in the parents of the child, whether there were cases of such reactions in the patient earlier, when and under what conditions contact with allergens could occur. The doctor also takes into account the clinical and auscultatory picture.
If with acute tracheobronchitis, radiography is practically not prescribed, then with any chronic forms, including allergic, it is considered quite informative, because with a long illness the pulmonary pattern is deformed. In addition, it confirms the presence or absence of infiltrative changes in the lungs.
However, a more informative method in such cases is tracheobronchoscopy. It helps to identify the swelling of the mucous membrane characteristic of the allergic form, the presence of other changes, including fibrinous overlay.
But if at the same time a purulent secret is revealed, this will help to exclude the allergic form, since this does not happen with it.
Is laboratory testing necessary
Many believe that laboratory tests are carried out only with an acute infectious form of tracheobronchitis. This is actually not the case. With an allergic form, on the contrary, additional tests are performed. For example, skin allergy tests are done.
Microscopic studies of sputum are also needed to rule out cancer and cancer, as well as bronchial asthma, which is directly related to allergic reactions. Only bacteriosis of sputum in this case is not necessary.
Treatment
How to treat allergic tracheobronchitis? This is an urgent issue for those who are faced with a similar disease. In this case, exclusively medication is prescribed, which in the absence of complications can be carried out at home, as well as methods of physiotherapy.
Firstly, you need to take antihistamines. Basically, we are talking about the means of the second and third generation - “Claritin”, “Zirtek”, “Histafen”, for children - “Fenistil”, which can be given starting from two months of age.
Secondly, bronchodilator drugs can be prescribed. For example, the drug "Eufillin" is popular.
Thirdly, so as not to disturb a dry cough, prescribe drugs that directly affect the cough center of the brain. It used to be Codeine, but it has serious side effects. Today, a safe and effective Sinecode is used instead.
Among physiotherapeutic measures, therapeutic respiratory gymnastics, UO-therapy, electrophoresis, vibration massage and oxygen therapy should be mentioned.
Disease prevention
To prevent allergic tracheobronchitis, you should avoid contact with the allergen, walk where there are no plants whose pollen leads to such reactions.
It is necessary to get rid of carpets, heavy curtains, decorative pillows and other dust collectors at home. Wet cleaning should also be carried out regularly.