Vicious Cycle of Poor Airway Clearance
A vicious cycle of respiratory disease begins when bacteria or other irritants invade lung tissue, triggering an inflammatory response. When airway clearance mechanisms are impaired, normal defenses fail. Bacteria gain a foothold, multiply, and cause infection. Mucus accumulates and inflammation intensifies. More mucus is produced; airway obstruction and mucus plugging develop.
Vulnerable individuals are caught in a vicious cycle of frequent lung infection and progressive lung injury. Airway clearance therapy is essential to break this vicious cycle.
Learn more about airway clearance:
- What is Airway Clearance?
- Normal Airway Clearance
- Impaired Airway Clearance
- The Need for Airway Clearance
Source
Cole, P. J. (1986). Inflammation: a two-edged sword—the model of bronchiectasis. European Journal of Respiratory Disease, 69 (Suppl 147), 6-15.
Cole, P. J. (1984). A new look at the pathogenesis and management of persistent bronchial sepsis: A “vicious circle” hypothesis and its logical therapeutic connotations. In Strategies for the management of chronic bronchial sepsis (pp. 1-20). Oxford: Medicine Publishing Foundation.