For Patients/Families

Bronchospasm
The air passageways within the lungs have small strands of smooth (involuntary) muscle encircling them. In chronic lung disease (CLD), these tiny bands of muscle often get bigger, and when they contract, they can narrow the bronchial tubes. This narrowing is called bronchospasm. Bronchospasm, the narrowing of the airways from smooth muscle contraction, interferes with lung function because it narrows the space through which the air must flow in and out of the lungs.

Bronchospasm can be brought on by too much fluid in the lungs, infection, and irritants such as tobacco smoke.