Bronchitis is a respiratory system disease in which the mucous membrane of the bronchial passages present in the lungs is inflamed. When the inflamed membrane will become thicker and swollen, the small air passages in the lungs will narrow or shut off. This will result to protracted bouts of coughing together with presence of phlegm and breathlessness. Bronchitis is classified into two types namely acute bronchitis and chronic bronchitis. In acute bronchitis, the condition will not last for more than six weeks while in chronic bronchitis, this will recur more often for two years or more. In addition, individuals who have asthma will also have inflammation of the bronchial tube lining. This is called asthmatic bronchitis.
Acute bronchitis
Acute bronchitis is a type of bronchitis that is short term in duration. This will last for approximately two weeks and more often than not, people can recover without permanent damage to the bronchial tree. Viruses like rhinoviruses, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus or RSV are some of the main reasons for the incidents of acute bronchitis. These involve ninety percent of cases while the rest are due to bacteria. For instance, bacteria such as Pneumococcus and Mycoplasma or brief exposure to chemical irritants like tobacco smoke, inhaled solvents and gastric reflux contents.
Acute bronchitis symptoms
The symptoms of acute bronchitis are commonly observed within two to three days after the actual infection of the respiratory passage has taken place. Several of the symptoms will persist for about two to three weeks. Listed below are major symptoms of acute bronchitis which are helpful in identifying the problem.
Cough: Usually, this is the first symptoms of acute bronchitis. This is the symptom that will last for an extensive period of time. Cough as a result of acute bronchitis has a distinctive sound. During the initial phase, the cough will remain dry but after a while, mucus is formed. The color of the mucus will vary from being transparent to yellow then to green. When cough persists for a longer time and will occur frequently, this will result to contraction of the thoracic cavity and spots of blood can be observed with the mucus.
Fever and Chills: The fever that is linked to acute bronchitis is typically mild and will not rise more than 101 degrees Fahrenheit. This can go with shivering of the body and unexpected feeling of coldness. When the temperature of the body will go up, the risk of getting pneumonia is high.
Runny Nose and Sore Throat: Runny nose is the symptom of acute bronchitis which will give a lot of discomfort to the person affected. Take note that frequent blowing of the nose must be in a gentle manner. Otherwise, this can hurt the nose. The voice will become hoarse because the throat is sore.
Pain: Muscles, bones, nerves and joints are extremely sensitive because of acute bronchitis and this will lead to a lot of pain. Due to this, muscle pain and pain on the neck and back are frequently observed in acute bronchitis. Frequent bouts of headache are even possible. Some individuals will also complain of dull pain on the chest which occurs because they find it difficult to breath and coughing is excessive.
Wheezing Sound in Nose: Mostly, this takes place due to obstruction in the nose and other areas of the breathing tract. Consequently, it will be hard to inhale air and will result to a typical nose. Any kind of physical activity will only aggravate the condition.
The symptoms of acute bronchitis should not be overlooked. Important steps for the treatment of chronic bronchitis must be done on a timely basis so that serious complications like pneumonia can be prevented. The doctors will prescribe appropriate medications to be relieved from persistent cough and fever. Dehydration can be avoided by drinking a lot of fluids. Since this is an extremely contagious disease, this can be transmitted from an individual to another through air or direct contact of the items the patient has used. Hence, if you have acute bronchitis, make sure to cover your face when you cough and sneeze. When you get close to a person with acute bronchitis, try to wear a mask and frequently wash your hands as possible so that the spread of infection is prevented.
Chronic Bronchitis
Chronic bronchitis refers to cough which occurs on a daily basis with production of sputum which will persist for a minimum of three months within a period of two years. This kind of definition was made to help choose a standardized population of patients designed for research purposes such as studying medication therapies in treating chronic bronchitis.
A lot of the bronchi will have chronic inflammation accompanied with swelling and excessive production of mucus. The lining cells of the airways will change in varying degrees due to inflammation. Plenty of cells which line the airway will lose the function of their cilia and in the end, the ciliated cells are lost. Cilia are hair-like appendages which have the capacity to beat rapidly. Their function is to move particles and fluids typically mucus above the lining surface of structures like nasal cavities, trachea and bronchial tubes. As a result, these hollow structures will be clear from particles and fluids. The ciliated cells that are useful in clearing secretions are usually replaced with the so-called goblet cells. This set of cells will secrete mucus into the airway. An ideal medium for the growth of bacteria is an airway which has a warm and moist environment together with nutrients in the mucus. Oftentimes, the mucus becomes infected and discolored due to overgrowth of bacteria and also because of the inflammatory response of the body to it. Typically, mucus, swelling and inflammation can considerably inhibit the flow of air to and from the lung alveoli. This is possible since the bronchi and bronchioles are narrowed and partially obstructed.
The muscles surrounding some of the airways may be stimulated because of irritation to the airway. Bronchospasm which is a muscular spasm can lead to further narrowing of the airway. With inflammation that is extensive as seen in chronic bronchitis, both inflammation and muscular spasm will result to a nonreversible and permanent narrowing of the airway. This condition is referred to as COPD or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. As the body will attempt to open and clear the bronchial airways of particles and mucus, chronic cough will then develop. This is also possible as an overreaction to the inflammation that is ongoing. Chronic bronchitis could be a progressive ailment and the symptoms which are listed below will increase after a while. Chronic bronchitis is considered to be a form of COPD by some NIH investigators.
In addition, COPD includes conditions such as chronic asthma, emphysema and chronic bronchitis. These conditions are not separable all the time and those who are affected would often have components of each one of them. With the case of chronic bronchitis, the permanent airway obstruction, inflammation of the airway and retained secretions will lead to mismatch flow of blood and air inside the lungs. Oxygenation of the blood and removal of carbon dioxide and waste products can be impaired.
Even if people of any age may suffer from chronic bronchitis, most individuals diagnosed with the condition are forty five years old or even older.
Causes of chronic bronchitis
The primary cause of chronic bronchitis is cigarette smoke although, there are a lot of causes of chronic bronchitis. According to statistics of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately forty nine percent of smokers develop chronic bronchitis while about twenty four percent develop COPD or emphysema. Several researchers affirm that approximately ninety percent of chronic bronchitis cases are due to direct or indirect exposure to tobacco smoke.
Plenty of other inhaled irritants such as solvents, smog and industrial pollutants will also result to chronic bronchitis.
Infections of viral and bacterial origin will lead to acute bronchitis. These can even result to chronic bronchitis if people have repeated attacks of the infectious agents.
Additionally, several main diseases processes such as familial genetic predisposition to bronchitis, immunodeficiency, cystic fibrosis, congestive heart failure, bronchiectasis which describes the congenital or acquired dilation of the bronchioles and asthma can lead to the development of chronic bronchitis. However, these are considered rare causes than cigarette smoking.
Chronic bronchitis symptoms
Listed below are some of the major symptoms of chronic bronchitis:
The most common symptoms include production of sputum and cough. Usually, they persist for at least three months and occur on a regular basis. Both amount and frequency of sputum production and also the intensity of coughing will vary from one person to another. The color of the sputum can be yellowish, clear, greenish and rarely, blood-tinged. The most common presentation is termed as smoker’s cough considering that cigarette smoke is the most frequent cause of chronic bronchitis. This is characterized by a cough which will get worse when a person rises from bed in the morning and there is frequent production of discolored mucus during the early part of the day. Less mucus will be produced as the day progresses.
Shortness of breath or dyspnea will slowly increase along with the severity of the disease. Typically, people suffering from chronic bronchitis will experience shortness of breath while performing any activity and start to cough. Dyspnea while at rest will usually indicate the development of COPD or emphysema.
Wheezing will also frequently occur which production of a coarse is whistling sound when the airways are obstructed partially.
Additionally, the major symptoms are accompanied with symptoms of nasal congestion, headaches, muscle aches, sore throat and fatigue. Chest pain may develop due to severe coughing. Bluish or grayish discoloration of the skin or cyanosis will develop in individuals with advanced COPD. Fever can indicate presence of secondary bacterial or viral lung infection. If the symptoms will become worse or occur more frequently, this is usually termed as an exacerbation of chronic bronchitis. Oftentimes, exacerbations will require the use of antibiotics. Steroid medication may also be needed as well as further use of respiratory inhaled medications.
Chronic bronchitis treatment
In majority of chronic bronchitis cases, the primary treatment can be easy to prescribe but is ignored or rejected more often by the patient. This is to stop smoking cigarettes and stay away from second-hand tobacco smoke. Individuals must be given encouragement to stop smoking since persistence will only lead to further damage of the lungs. In the same way, obstruction or removal of other underlying causes of repetitive bronchial irritation such as exposure to chemical fumes is a treatment objective. After a month of smoking cessation, about fifty percent of patients suffering from chronic bronchitis who smoke will no longer have cough. This will increase to about eighty percent after two months.
There are two major types of medications to be used in chronic bronchitis and these include steroids and bronchodilators.
• The bronchodilators function by relaxing the smooth muscles which surround the bronchi allowing the inner airways to get bigger. Anticholinergic drugs will also function as bronchodilators.
• The use of steroids will lessen the inflammatory reaction. Hence, bronchial swelling and secretions will decrease and in turn, there will be better airflow due to reduction of airway obstruction. Usually, inhaled steroids are given out because they have fewer side effects when compared to the use of systemic or oral steroids.
• Another method of treatment which is a combination of education and graded physical exercise is pulmonary rehabilitation. The education component regularly includes techniques in smoking cessation and the relationship of the use of tobacco with the symptoms. Techniques in breathing are extremely helpful in overcoming both discomfort and anxiety brought about by exacerbations. If chronic bronchitis is severe, flow of blood and air will not move properly through the lungs. It is very important that lung function such as blood flow and airflow to the lungs will match accurately. In case they are not, oxygen level will decrease while carbon dioxide level will increase. Hence, there will be intense negative consequences.
• Cough suppressants like dextromethorphan which are available over the counter can be useful in the reduction of cough symptoms. Even if over-the-counter preparations with guaifenesin can make the patients experience more comfort, there is no scientific evidence that this can be helpful in making the mucus to become less viscous.
• There have been alternative treatments which are recommended by some individuals but these provide little or no evidence of any advantages. Some even prove to be dangerous such as South African geranium herb, high doses of Vitamin C, eucalyptus oil inhalation therapy, herbal teas and a lot more. It is best to consult with a healthcare specialist before you use any of these products or remedies.
Antibiotics are seldom used in treating chronic bronchitis exacerbations due to bacterial infections. The broad spectrum antibiotics which are usually used include.