Bronchial Disorders

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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Specifics

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Research

• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Reference Desk
• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Patient Handouts

Summary

When you breathe in, the air travels down through your trachea (windpipe). It then goes through two tubes to your lungs. These tubes are your bronchi. Bronchial disorders can make it hard for you to breathe.

The most common problem with the bronchi is bronchitis, an inflammation of the tubes. It can be acute or chronic. Other problems include

• Bronchiectasis - a condition in which damage to the airways causes them to widen and become flabby and scarred
• Exercise-induced bronchospasm - a breathing problem that happens when your airways shrink while you are exercising
• Bronchiolitis - an inflammation of the small airways that branch off from the bronchi
• Bronchopulmonary dysplasia - a chronic lung condition in infants, most often premature infants

Start Here

• Bronchiectasis (American Lung Association)
• Bronchiectasis (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
• Bronchiolitis (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Bronchiolitis (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Exercise-Induced Bronchospasm (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• What Is Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

Diagnosis and Tests

• Chest CT Scan (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
• Chest X Ray? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
• What Are Lung Function Tests? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
• What is Bronchoscopy? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

Treatments and Therapies

• How Is Bronchiectasis Treated? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
• How Is Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia Treated? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

Specifics

• Bronchiolitis Obliterans (National Jewish Health)
• Flavorings-Related Lung Disease (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Bronchial Diseases (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Bronchiectasis (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Bronchiolitis (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Clinical Factors Associated With Chest Imaging Findings in Hospitalized Infants...
• Article: Effect of Azithromycin on Airflow Decline-Free Survival After Allogeneic Hematopoietic...
• Article: Pediatric Readmissions After Hospitalizations for Lower Respiratory Infections.
• Bronchial Disorders -- see more articles

Reference Desk

• Bronchi, Bronchial Tree, & Lungs (National Cancer Institute)
• What Are the Lungs? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

Find an Expert

• American Lung Association
• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Children

• Bronchiolitis (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Living with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
• Treating Bronchiolitis in Infants (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Bronchiectasis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Bronchiolitis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Bronchiolitis - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Postural drainage (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Tracheal rupture (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish