I’m introducing a new part of the website called the “Twitchy Airways Club.” I spend a great deal of time with patients trying to determine whether they have airway hyperresponsiveness, and if so, how and why. Whether they have asthma, chronic bronchitis, asthma/COPD overlap syndrome (aka ACOS), etc, they frequently suffer from airways that “overreact” to the air they breathe or when they exercise.  

It is important to understand lung anatomy. I think the American Lung Association provides an excellent overview here. Oxygen gets into our blood stream through the alveoli (aka “air sacs”), a very delicate interface of our blood with the air. They eliminate carbon dioxide and bring in oxygen. To get out to these tiny air sacs, air needs to travel the distance of our breathing tubes, a branching network that leads to the air sacs. When I am explaining airway disease to patients in lung clinic, I frequently explain that we are often trying to decide whether someone’s lung problem resides in the tubes or the air sacs. Diseases of “twitchy airways” are mainly airway diseases, while the air sacs themselves may be normal (as in asthma) or abnormal (as in emphysema). A significant portion of twitchy airway symptoms come from the breathing tubes being narrowed and/or hyperactive. It is important to separate these out to fully understand and treat each patient. 

I am adding a “Twitchy Airway Club” tag to blogposts that will be of interest for people who either suffer from airway disease or have family members that do. People with twitchy airways can be particularly susceptible to changes in air quality, pollen burden, air pollution, etc. 

I will also add resources under the Twitchy Airways Club menu as well. Right now you can find a great video from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America about asthmatic airways and other good resources. You can read about Trigger Diaries, and follow the blog for upcoming information about the importance of a Trigger Diary!