Airway obstruction can cause difficulty breathing and is a life-threatening emergency that requires immediate medical attention. It can be acute or chronic, with various causes such as allergies, infections, or smoking. Treatment depends on the cause, and symptoms can be managed long-term.
An airway obstruction, also known as acute airway obstruction, is a blockage of the airways that usually causes difficulty breathing. Patients are often able to fully recover from acute airway obstruction with prompt treatment. It can also be a chronic problem caused by underlying medical conditions, such as lung disease, that get worse over time.
Acute airway obstruction is characterized by sudden onset and severe symptoms. It is usually a life-threatening emergency that requires immediate medical attention. If help is delayed, death or brain damage can result from lack of vital oxygen. With prompt medical care, patients have a very good chance of making a full recovery.
Symptoms of acute airway obstruction may include the following conditions: agitation, confusion, or panic; difficult breathing; breath sounds such as wheezing, whistling or wheezing; suffocation; changes in consciousness including unconsciousness; or bluish skin color called cyanosis. It can have many possible causes such as allergic reactions causing the airways to swell closed, burns or chemical reactions or breathing smoke. It can also be triggered by a foreign object, food stuck in the airways, or other trauma. It can also be caused by several medical conditions including infections, croup, abscesses on parts of the airways, and throat cancer.
Treatment of acute airway obstruction varies depending on the cause of the problem. If there is a foreign object completely blocking the airway and the person is unable to breathe, an emergency procedure called a Heimlich maneuver can save their life. In cases like this, there is often no time to wait for emergency personnel. Objects causing partial blockages to treat can be removed with an instrument called a laryngoscope or bronchoscope. Breathing can also be restored with an opening called a tracheotomy, made directly into the airways, or by inserting a breathing tube.
The most common cause of chronic airway obstruction is a progressive disease called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The condition is characterized by continuous airway obstruction that gets worse over time. Airway obstruction is caused by chronic bronchitis or emphysema which permanently changes the structure of the respiratory system.
COPD symptoms typically gradually progress from a cough with periods of abnormal breathing such as shortness of breath to constant difficulty breathing with cyanosis and eventual heart failure. The most common cause of COPD is cigarette smoking, including exposure to secondhand smoke. The condition has no cure; symptoms can be managed long-term, however, and can allow people with mild cases to live relatively normal lives.
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