Which condition is described as reversible bronchoconstriction causing wheezing?

• A. COPD
• B. Asthma
• C. Bronchospasm
• D. Pneumonia

Answer: (B)

Asthma is defined by episodic airway inflammation with bronchial hyperresponsiveness, leading to reversible obstruction of the airways. During an attack, the smooth muscle around the bronchi constricts, the lining swells, and mucus can plug passages, all of which narrow the airways and produce wheezing as air is forced through the constricted tubes. Importantly, this obstruction is largely reversible with time or with treatments like bronchodilators and anti-inflammatory therapy, which is a hallmark contrast to many other lung conditions.

In contrast, COPD tends to involve persistent, less reversible narrowing of the airways, often with a gradual decline in lung function and a history of long-term smoking. Bronchospasm describes the constriction itself and can cause wheeze, but it’s more of a mechanism or acute event rather than a chronic condition characterized by recurrent, reversible episodes. Pneumonia involves infection and alveolar consolidation, not primarily reversible bronchoconstriction producing wheeze.

So, the description of reversible bronchoconstriction causing wheezing aligns best with asthma.