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Bronchiectasis

Bronchiectasis Image. Courtesy Quizlet.com
Bronchiectasis Image. Courtesy Quizlet.com

What Is Bronchiectasis?

[dropcap]B[/dropcap]ronchiectasis is a pulmonary disorder characterized by chronic dilation of bronchi (main airways) and bronchioles (small airways) with chronic inflammation and swelling, increasing the risk of infection.

In bronchiectasis, mucus produced to trap foreign substances, such as dust and bacteria, builds-up because the ability of airways to move it out is impaired. Normally, hair-like cilia that line airways beat mucus out of the lungs. Loss of this action increases mucus in the airways which increases risk of pneumonia.

The anatomy of airways is likened to a branching tree. The trachea, or windpipe, like the trunk of a tree, branches into two primary bronchi that connect it to the lungs. One bronchus connects to the left lung and the other to the right lung. Each bronchus further divides into smaller bronchi that connect to the lobes. Lobes are large subdivisions of lung tissue: two of the left lung and three of the right lung.

Lobe bronchi divide into smaller bronchial tubes ending in small bronchioles. The ends of bronchioles are surrounded with and attached to tiny alveoli which are air sacs that look like clusters of grapes.

Q: What effect does inflammation have on the lungs?

A: Alveoli are only one cell thick, where oxygen is obtained by the bloodsteam from air breathed into them and carbon dioxide is released from the bloodstream to air that is breathed out of air sacs through the pulmonary tree. Two things happen:

  1. Inflammation  impairs exchange of gases in alveoli, resulting in lack of sufficient oxygen (O2) for body cell functions, called hypoxia, and build-up of carbon dioxide (CO2) in blood, called CO2 retention.
  2. Inflammation narrows passageways, which reduces the movement of air to and from the alveoli, and this puts stress on the right side of the heart.

Bronchiectasis can affect one or both lungs or one segment or multiple segments of a lung. Treatment is with antibiotics, chest physiotherapy and good nutrition.

What Is Bronchiectasis In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?

Cystic Fibrosis 

Bronchiectasis in Cystic Fibrosis. Courtesy Dr Jerry Nick National Jewish Medical and Research Center, Denver
Lung Tissue in Bronchiectasis.  Courtesy Dr Jerry Nick National Jewish Medical and Research Center, Denver

What Is Cystic Fibrosis?

[dropcap]C[/dropcap]ystic fibrosis is a genetic disease of the exocrine glands which causes the body to produce abnormally thick and sticky mucus and results in progressive damage to the respiratory system and digestive problems.

Severity of disease depends on the particular genetic mutation of affected individuals.

Q: How does the abnormal mucus damage the lungs and digestive tract?

A: In all cases of cystic fibrosis, sticky mucus build-up in the bronchioles (small breathing passages) of the lungs causes COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) that results in life-threatening lung infections. 

In the pancreas, the abnormal mucus damages its ability to produce required enzymes to digest food, causing failure to adequately digest fats, carbohydrates and protein which are vital for life.

Other tissues that may be involved are sweat glands, sinuses, and the male reproductive system, causing infertility.

Millions of Americans carry the defective cystic fibrosis gene, but do not have any symptoms. That is because cystic fibrosis requires the inheritance of two defective cystic fibrosis genes — one from each parent who carries it. An estimated 1 in 29 Caucasian Americans have the cystic fibrosis gene.

The disease is the most common, deadly, inherited disorder affecting Caucasians in the United States. It is more common among those of Northern or Central European descent. About 30,000 children and adults in the United States have cystic fibrosis while more than 10 million people carry the gene.1

There is no cure yet for cystic fibrosis, however, treatments have greatly improved in recent years. The goals of treatment include:

  • Preventing and controlling lung infections.
  • Loosening and removing thick, sticky mucus from the lungs.
  • Preventing or treating blockages in the intestines.
  • Providing enough nutrition.
  • Preventing dehydration (a lack of fluid in the body).2

What Is Cystic Fibrosis In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?

Sources:
  1. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001167/ [↩]
  2. National Heart, Blood, and Lung Institute [↩]