The narrowing of airways in the lungs due to tightening of the muscles around them, reducing airflow and making breathing difficult.
From broncho- (airways) plus constriction (from Latin constring meaning 'to bind together'). The term emerged as doctors needed precise language for the airway-narrowing mechanism in asthma and allergic reactions.
Bronchoconstriction is the key mechanism in asthma attacks, and it's reversible—which is why quick-relief inhalers work so well, they contain medications that relax those tight airway muscles within minutes, making it one of medicine's most elegant rapid interventions.
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