Bronchial hyperresponsiveness (or other combinations with airway or hyperreactivity, BH used as a general abbreviation)[1] is a state characterised by easily triggered bronchospasm (contraction of the bronchioles or small airways).
These chemicals trigger bronchospasm in normal individuals as well, but people with bronchial hyperresponsiveness have a lower threshold.
Bronchial hyperresponsiveness is a hallmark of asthma but also occurs frequently in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
[2] In the Lung Health Study, bronchial hyperresponsiveness was present in approximately two-thirds of patients with non-severe COPD, and this predicted lung function decline independently of other factors.
Bronchial hyperresponsiveness has been associated with gas cooking among subjects with the GSTM1 null genotype.