What are the symptoms of foreign body in the bronchus?

Bronchial abnormalities actually have a great impact on the patient's respiratory system. In severe cases, they can cause suffocation in the patient, directly threatening his life. When there are foreign objects in the bronchus, the patient will have severe choking cough, cyanosis, chest pain, pneumonia, etc. Such manifestations require timely attention to the health of the bronchus, and it is best to do relevant examinations.

1. Clinical staging

(1) When a foreign body enters the trachea through the glottis, severe choking and coughing will occur, and sometimes there will be a brief period of breath holding and a cyanotic face. If a foreign body gets stuck in the glottis, hoarseness and breathing difficulties may occur, and in severe cases, suffocation may occur. If a foreign body enters the trachea or bronchi, there may be no other symptoms except a mild cough.

(2) During the quiet period, after a foreign body enters the trachea or bronchi, it stays in a certain area and the irritation is reduced. At this time, the patient may have a slight cough but no other symptoms, which is often ignored. The length of this stage varies. If a foreign body blocks the trachea and causes inflammation, this stage will end quickly and enter the third stage.

(3) During the inflammatory phase, local irritation and secondary inflammation caused by foreign bodies aggravate the obstruction of the trachea and bronchi, which may result in cough, atelectasis, and emphysema. Patients may also experience elevated body temperature during this phase.

(4) During the complication period, as inflammation progresses, pneumonia, lung abscess, or empyema may occur. The patient has high fever, cough, purulent sputum, chest pain, hemoptysis, and difficulty breathing. The length and severity of this period may vary depending on the size and nature of the foreign body, the patient's physical condition and treatment.

2. Clinical manifestations: Different symptoms may occur depending on the location of the foreign body.

(1) When foreign bodies enter the larynx, reflex laryngeal spasm occurs, causing inspiratory dyspnea and severe irritating cough. If the foreign body stays at the entrance of the throat, it will cause pain or difficulty in swallowing. If the foreign body is located in the glottal fissure, a large one may cause suffocation, while a small one may cause choking, hoarseness, difficulty breathing, and laryngeal sounds. If the foreign body is in the form of a small membrane attached to the subglottis, there may only be hoarseness without other symptoms. Sharp foreign objects piercing the throat may cause hemoptysis and subcutaneous emphysema.

(2) Foreign bodies in the trachea If foreign bodies enter the airway, severe choking and coughing will occur immediately, and the face and ears will turn red, and there will be symptoms such as shortness of breath and difficulty breathing. As the foreign body adheres to the tracheal wall, the symptoms may be temporarily relieved; if the foreign body is light and smooth and moves up and down between the glottis and the bronchus with the respiratory airflow, an irritating cough may occur and a clapping sound may be heard; wheezing may be heard if there is a foreign body in the trachea, and the breath sounds of both lungs are similar. If the foreign object is large and blocks the trachea, it may cause suffocation. This situation is very dangerous as the foreign body may reach the glottis at any time and cause breathing difficulties or suffocation. Qingdao Medical College once encountered a 3-year-old child whose foreign body was a watermelon seed and the disease lasted for 10 months. During the 10-month period, there were three episodes of choking, all of which were relieved on the way to the hospital. This is because the watermelon seeds move up and down in the trachea and suddenly stick to the subglottis, closing the glottis fissure and causing suffocation.