Excessive bronchoconstriction can close airways. What are two serious conditions that can close airways?

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Excessive bronchoconstriction closes airways when the smooth muscle around the bronchioles contracts and the airway lining swells or fills with mucus. Two conditions that can cause this dramatic closure are asthma and anaphylaxis. In asthma, airway hyperresponsiveness triggers repeated bronchial smooth muscle constriction, inflammation, and mucus production, narrowing the airways during attacks. In anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction releases mediators like histamine that provoke rapid bronchospasm and swelling of the airway mucosa, which can quickly seal off the passages. The other options involve chronic obstruction or infection rather than the acute, life-threatening bronchoconstriction seen in these two conditions.