Treatment for Bronchospasm

The bronchi are airway passages that move air to the lungs. The Cleveland Clinic indicates that bronchospasms occur when the bronchi wall contracts and tightens, making exhaling air difficult and noisy. Doctors associate bronchospasm mainly with bronchitis and asthma. Other causes of this condition include respiratory infection, chronic lung disease such as emphysema and an allergic reaction.

  1. Beta-Agonist Inhalers

    • HealthScout.com, an award-winning educational portal, indicates that beta-agonist inhalers, also called bronchodilators, help ease symptoms of asthma and bronchospasms by relaxing the muscles that surround the walls of the bronchioles (small airways). Beta-agonists can only be prescribed by your physician. Brands available in the United States include Proventil and Tornalate. Beta-agonists are administered using a metered-dose inhaler. These devices have a proven record of treating symptoms, but must be used correctly for achieving the best results. The National Institutes of Health offers consumer medication information detailing exactly how to use and care for your inhaler.

    Anticholinergic Inhalers

    • Anticholinergic drugs are another class of medications used to treat bronchospasms. Unlike beta-agonists, anticholinergics prevent the muscles surrounding the bronchi, or large airways, from tightening. According to the American Thoracic Society (ATS), the main debate about which treatment is better, beta-agonists versus anticholinergics, is that beta-agonists work more quickly, while anticholinergics are short-acting, lasting about six to eight hours. Anticholinergics have fewer side effects, according to the ATS. Some brand-name anticholinergics on the market include Atrovent and Oxivent.

    Exercise More; Pre-Treat Your Symptoms

    • You may have heard that exercise causes bronchospasms. The good news, according to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI), is that though many asthmatics have bronchospasms during exercise, exercise itself is not the cause of the attack. Eighty to 90 percent of people with asthma will have bronchospasms while exercising, but the AAAAI has found that pre-treating your asthma before exercising could prevent an attack: "It is believed that hyperventilation associated with exercise cools and dries the upper and lower airway resulting in the release of histamine and other substances that produce the bronchospasm." If patients pre-treat their asthma with a bronchodilator, they could reduce the risk of having an attack. Also, once an asthmatic improves her physical condition, she will be able to tolerate greater levels of exercise with a reduced risk of having exercise-related attacks.