Definition: Bronchoconstriction is a medical term that describes what happens to your airways during an asthma attack. It is a compound word that can be broken down as follows:
- Broncho-, which means bronchial tubes. The bronchial tubes are the larger airways that branch off your windpipe (trachea) and conduct air down to your lungs.
- -Constriction, a word that means tightening and narrowing.
When a person who has asthma comes into contact with an asthma trigger, such as pollen or cat dander, an allergic response may occur, because already hyper-reactive airways perceive the trigger as a threat. In response, a number of reactions occur. Bronchoconstriction is one of them.
During broncoconstriction, the smooth muscle that surrounds your airways tenses and squeezes, leading to a narrowing of the airways. And that makes it harder to breathe, which leads to wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath, all key asthma symptoms.
