Bronchial Thermoplasty
What is Bronchial Thermoplasty?
Bronchial thermoplasty is a procedure to treat asthma by using gentle heat to smooth the muscles in the airways. The muscles react to the heat and refrain from tightening and causing an asthma attack.
Generally, those who have asthma will experience chronic inflammation in their airways. With an asthma attack, the smooth muscle in the airways will swell up and make breathing difficult. Hence, bronchial thermoplasty is a treatment option that your physician will suggest if other therapies and medicines don't seem beneficial.
What is the need for Bronchial Thermoplasty?
Bronchial thermoplasty is an optimal treatment for severe asthma patients if medications are ineffective. The treatment works along with asthma medicines and provides long-term improvement and asthma control.
With this procedure, the risk of an asthma attack will reduce, and you can take lower doses of asthma medication. Bronchial thermoplasty is a procedure that will help the patient overcome the severity and continuity of asthma attacks.
Some benefits of the treatment are:
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Lower doses of steroid intake
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Fewer asthma attacks and emergency room run
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Few hospitalizations for respiratory symptoms
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Few sick days due to asthma
What are the risks of Bronchial Thermoplasty?
Like any other procedure, bronchial thermoplasty has mild short-term side effects that usually go away after a week. You must be wary of the symptoms as they can trigger an asthma attack.
Some side effects that can be severe are:
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Coughing blood
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Respiratory infection
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Wheezing or shortness of breath
How does Bronchial Thermoplasty treat asthma?
Asthma medicines work by opening inflamed airways and making it easier to breathe. However, this may not be effective for some people.
Bronchial thermoplasty is a treatment option suggested by your physician to treat severe asthma. Before the procedure, your provider will give you a steroid pill that will make you sleepy and maybe a medication to numb your mouth and throat.
Your physician will insert a flexible tube called a bronchoscope through your mouth and into the lung. A catheter travels through the bronchoscope and delivers thermal heat to the smooth muscles of the lungs, and shrinks them to clear the airways for easy breathing.
