Bronchoscopy

What is a Bronchoscopy? A bronchoscopy is a test that allows doctors to examine your airways. An instrument called a bronchoscope is threaded through your nose or mouth and down your throat to reach your lungs. The bronchoscope has a light source and a viewing device. The bronchoscope can be a rigid or it can be made from a more flexible fiber-optic material. Using the bronchoscope, the doctor can view your all of the structures that make up your respiratory system including the larynx, trachea, and the smaller airways of the lungs—the bronchi. Bronchoscopy can be used to diagnose lung disease, tumors, chronic cough, or an infection. A bronchoscopy may be needed if you have an abnormal chest X-ray or CT scan that shows evidence of an infection, a tumor, or a collapsed lung. The test is also sometimes used as a treatment tool. For example, a bronchoscopy can deliver medication to the lungs or remove a piece of food that is caught in your airways   Preparing for a Bronchoscopy Most people will require a local anaesthetic to be applied to their nose and throat during the bronchoscopy test. A sedative is typically given to help you relax. This means that you will be awake but drowsy during the exam. An anaesthetist is usually present to administer sedation and monitor your heart and oxygenation. You will need to fast for six to 12 hours before the bronchscopy. You may need to stop taking aspirin, ibuprofen, warfarin, or other blood thinners before your bronchoscopy. Bring someone with you to your appointment or arrange for transportation to drive you home afterward.   Bronchoscopy Procedure Once you are relaxed, the bronchoscope (a thin, flexible tube) will be inserted into your nose or mouth. The bronchoscope passes from your nose/ mouth down to your throat until it reaches your bronchi. The bronchi are the airways in your lungs. Your doctor may wash your lungs by sending a warm saline solution through the bronchoscope and then sucking it back out. Cleaning your airways makes examination easier and gives the doctor samples of your lung cells and secretions. Brushes or needles may be attached to the bronchoscope to collect tissue samples from your lungs. These samples can help your doctor diagnose any lung conditions you may have. Depending on your specific condition, the doctor may observe: blood mucus infection swelling blockages tumors If a tumor is seen a sample (biopsy) will...
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Sleep Apnoea

Symptoms, Causes, Cures, and Treatment Options Unless our bed partner is disrupting our sleep, most of us don’t think of snoring as something to be overly concerned about. But frequent, loud snoring may be a sign of sleep apnea, a common and potentially serious disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts as you sleep. Although sleep apnea is treatable, it often goes unrecognized. Learning how to identify the warning signs, how to distinguish it from normal snoring, is the first step to overcoming sleep apnea and getting a good night’s sleep. What is sleep apnoea? Sleep apnoea affects the way you breathe when you’re sleeping. In untreated sleep apnea, breathing is briefly interrupted or becomes very shallow during sleep. These breathing pauses typically last between 10 to 20 seconds and can occur up to hundreds of times a night, jolting you out of your natural sleep rhythm. As a consequence, you spend more time in light sleep and less time in the deep, restorative sleep you need to be energetic, mentally sharp, and productive the next day. This chronic sleep deprivation results in daytime sleepiness, slow reflexes, poor concentration, and an increased risk of accidents. Sleep apnea can also lead to serious health problems over time, including diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and weight gain. But with treatment you can control the symptoms, get your sleep back on track, and start enjoy being refreshed and alert every day. Types of sleep apnoea Obstructive sleep apnoea is the most common type of sleep apnoea. It occurs when the soft tissue in the back of your throat relaxes during sleep and blocks the airway, often causing you to snore loudly. Central sleep apnoea is a much less common type of sleep apnoea that involves the central nervous system, occurring when the brain fails to signal the muscles that control breathing. People with central sleep apnea seldom snore. Complex sleep apnoea is a combination of obstructive sleep apnoea and central sleep apnoea. Anatomy of a sleep apnoea episode As airflow stops during a sleep apnea episode, the oxygen level in your blood drops. Your brain responds by briefly disturbing your sleep enough to kick start breathing—which often resumes with a gasp or a choking sound. If you have obstructive sleep apnoea, you probably won’t remember these awakenings. Most of the time, you’ll stir just enough to tighten your throat muscles and open...
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Location

Suite 19, St. Andrew’s Hospital Building 3, 280 North Street Toowoomba QLD 4350
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