Bullous Lung Disease: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment

Lungs, like other human organs, are susceptible to various diseases. Including the development of bullous emphysema of the lungs.

Features of the disease

Bullous pulmonary disease refers to obstructive diseases, which are chronic. Moreover, in the organ some parts of the tissue can become more airy due to the fact that the alveoli (the bubbles, of which the lungs are composed) increase considerably in size, and their walls are destroyed. During this process, cavities with a diameter greater than 1 cm are formed. As a rule, air is accumulated in them, as a result of which the circulation in the lungs is disrupted.

Statistics show that men are more likely to suffer from this disease than women, and almost twice. Age also matters. Older people are more vulnerable to the disease.

Characteristic for this form of emphysema is that not the entire organ is affected, but only a certain part of it.

Bullous pulmonary disease: the causes

The main reasons for this disease are:

• smoking;
• Genetic predisposition (inferiority of connective tissue, called dysplastic syndrome);
• Chronic inflammatory diseases (bronchitis, bronchiectasis, bronchial asthma);
• Tuberculosis regardless of stage;
• Poor ecology and various air pollution (pathogenic microorganisms that live in such air are capable of affecting the lungs and provoking inflammation of the alveoli);
• Complications after sarcoidosis of the lungs.

Bullae, which are formed due to the development of the disease, can be from 1 to 10 cm in diameter. With a size of more than 10 cm they are called giant. Their location can also vary. They can be either multiple (common throughout the volume of the lungs) or single (localized in a particular area). Bulls are dangerous because they begin to squeeze the tissues that are located next door, and, thus, worsen the gas exchange in the organ.

Knowing the reasons that are capable of provoking the development of this disease, one can do preventive work in time.

The main manifestations of the disease

The main symptom that accompanies the development of bullous disease of the lungs is shortness of breath, which does not appear suddenly, but gradually. And its peculiarity is that the difficulties of breathing appear when you exhale. The patient at this time produces a sound that resembles pant. At the initial stage of the disease, dyspnea appears exclusively with increased physical exertion, but with progression, emphysema can also be disturbed at rest. Often it is accompanied by attacks of suffocation, coughing, sputum discharge.

When a doctor diagnoses "bullous lung disease," the symptoms that indicate this may be as follows:

• Increase the spacing between the ribs;
• The thorax becomes cylindrical;
• The diaphragm is less mobile;
• The appearance of pain, which is significantly worse during cough, may occur;
• Fast fatigue, a state of general weakness.

If Bullous Lung Disease progresses (the history of the disease depends on the cause of the onset), in the absence of proper treatment, respiratory failure may develop, which is manifested in the fact that the veins on the neck swell and turn blue. In addition, a patient with a bullous form of emphysema is very thin. This is due to the fact that practically all energy is expended solely on the process of breathing. Tense physical work or excessive emotions can lead to spontaneous pneumothorax (a condition where air enters the pleural cavity).

With intense pain, the development of acute vascular insufficiency is possible .

The degree of collapse of the lung affects the severity of dyspnea and the severity of the general condition of the patient. This determines the tactics of further treatment, which can be aimed at eliminating symptoms or actively draining the pleura.

Diagnostic Features

To put this diagnosis can only an experienced specialist, that's why if you find at least some of these symptoms you need to turn to a pulmonologist. The doctor will conduct the examination, then use the instruments to listen to the lungs during their work. After the performed actions, as a rule, the patient is referred to CT or X-ray of the lungs, as well as to an analysis that will reveal the gas composition of the blood.

Based on these studies, the doctor may prescribe a treatment or an additional study (peakflowmetry and spirometry).

Tactics of therapy

If "Bullous Lung Disease" is diagnosed, treatment in most cases is aimed at eliminating inflammation of the alveoli and restoring the disturbed gas exchange in the lungs. Getting rid of the symptoms of the disease is extremely complex. However, it is worth remembering that even if the treatment is started in the early stages, the changes in lung tissue that have occurred as a result of the development of bullous emphysema will be irreversible. All the measures taken to eliminate the symptoms will only help stop the further progression of the disease. That is why bullous emphysema (medical history and treatment tactics depend on the causes and symptoms) requires immediate intervention.

There are two methods of treating the disease: surgical and medicamentous.

Surgical method

If diagnosed as "bullous lung disease," the operation will be the most effective method. During its conduct, the bulls that were formed are removed. This will help reduce the volume of the lungs, so that breathing comes back to normal. In this case, the operation should be carried out as early as possible in order to prevent the development of complications.

Carrying out it does not involve cutting the chest, the intervention is carried out through a small puncture.

In exceptional cases, the treating physician may decide to transplant or remove the lung.

Treatment with the use of medicines

The drug method is to eliminate the causes that triggered the disease itself. That's why the doctor should clearly understand what led to the development of emphysema. As a rule, after the studies, the patient is prescribed bronchodilators in combination with glucocorticoid hormones. If the course of the disease leads to the development of respiratory or vascular insufficiency, the doctor may decide to prescribe diuretics (medicines that are aimed at removing the liquid). Depending on the cause of the disease, antibacterial agents and theophyllines can be prescribed.

However, a mandatory condition during treatment is a complete rejection of bad habits, performing respiratory gymnastics and spending a lot of time in the fresh air. Walking is recommended to be short-lived, at a moderate pace, and it is worthwhile to carefully monitor the breathing process.

The disease has a property for a long period of time not to manifest itself, which is why you need to periodically undergo a full medical examination in order to avoid the development of various pathologies, including bullous lung disease.