Title
Bronchitis
Title
Bronchitis Overview
Bronchitis is inflammation of the air passages (bronchi) of the lungs. It can make breathing difficult and sometimes painful.
Types
Acute Bronchitis–sudden onset of symptoms. This lasts only a short time and there is full recovery of lung function.
Chronic Bronchitis–long-term inflammation, obstruction, and degeneration of the bronchi. This is often the result of many years of cigarette smoking. This is a serious medical condition, also called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Asthmatic Bronchitis–intermittent inflammation of the airways in people with underlying asthma. This is most commonly associated with allergies or environmental irritants.
Irritative Bronchitis–(also called industrial or environmental bronchitis); due to chronic exposure to substances such as acids, ammonia, chlorine, minerals, or vegetable dusts
Symptoms
The main symptom of bronchitis is a hacking cough. Symptoms depend on the type of bronchitis.
Acute Bronchitis
- Runny nose
- Malaise
- Slight fever
- Back and muscle pain
- Sore throat
- Cough, initially dry, then produces mucus that may be thick, yellow, green, blood-streaked
- Wheezing
Chronic Bronchitis
- Cough that brings up yellow-green mucus, often worse in the morning
- Difficulty breathing
- Bluish tint to lips and skin (in severe cases)
- Swelling of the feet (in end-stage cases)
Causes
The inflammation may be caused by bacterial and viral infections, smoking (cigarettes or marijuana), inhalation of certain respiratory irritants (ie, chemical pollutants, dust), particularly in an occupational setting. In most cases, bronchitis is caused by the same viruses that cause the common cold or flu.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is typically based on a person's signs and symptoms.
- Acute Bronchitis
Tests for acute bronchitis are not usually needed. However, for severe or questionable cases, the following may be recommended:
- Blood Test
- Chest X-rays to rule out pneumonia, a complication of bronchitis
- Pulse Oximetry–measures the amount of oxygen in the blood
- Bronchoscopy with culture of the obtained sputum
- Chronic Bronchitis
Tests for chronic bronchitis may include:
- Blood test
- Chest x-rays
- Pulmonary function tests or spirometry to evaluate lung function
- Sputum culture
- Arterial blood gas (for levels of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and acid in the blood)
- Pulse oximetry
- Bronchoscopy with culture of obtained sputum
Treatment
- Acute Bronchitis
Treatment is aimed at relieving the symptoms. It includes:
Aspirin or acetaminophen to treat pain and fever
Expectorants or cough suppressants
Increased fluid intake
Cool mist humidification
In most cases, antibiotics are not necessary because the infection is viral, not bacterial. Antihistamines are usually not recommended, because they tend to dry up secretions, which can make the cough worse.
- Chronic Bronchitis
Treatment is based on:
Age
Overall health
Extent of the disease
Past response to treatments
Treatment may include:
Oral antibiotics and bronchodilators, particularly clarithromycin
Bronchodilators
Oral or intravenous corticosteroid medications
- Inhaled bronchodilators or corticosteroids
- Expectorants to loosen secretions
- Mucolytics
- Supplemental oxygen
- Cool mist humidification
- Lung reduction surgery–removal of the most damaged part of the lungs (in severe cases)
- Lung transplant (in end-stage cases)
Prevention
To reduce the chance of getting bronchitis:
- Stop smoking or never start.
- Avoid passive smoke.
- Avoid exposure to respiratory irritants.
- Avoid contact with people who have bronchitis.
Complications
There are a number of possible serious complications that can occur as a result of an acute bronchial infection and although these serious complications can be rare.
- Chronic bronchitis - repeated occurrences of acute bronchitis can results in chronic bronchitis, which is considered a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), that can cause chronic obstruction of the airways in the lungs, which is generally considered to be permanent and worsens over time
- Pneumonia - if the acute bronchitis infection worsens, it can develop into the more serious infection condition pneumonia, which can occur due to the airway obstruction and the inability to cough out infected secretions of mucus. Pneumonia can be serious and life threatening, especially in babies, young children, older adults and anyone with any other condition
Pneumonia is the most common complication of bronchitis. It happens when the infection spreads further into the lungs. 1 in 20 cases of bronchitis leads to pneumonia.
Risks
Risk factors include:
- Smoking
- Exposure to second-hand smoke
- Contact with a person infected with bronchitis
- Viral upper respiratory tract infection (cold or flu)
- Asthma
- Chronic sinusitis
- Occupational exposures to respiratory inhalants
- Smog, in susceptible individuals
- Enlarged tonsils and/or adenoids
- Malnutrition and other people with a weakened immune system Elderly people
Recovery
Some strategies you can use to help them recover more quickly:
- Resting will allow to get better much more quickly
- Avoiding smoking that makes to cough more. It may make breathing difficult and possible cause them some distress
- Medication has to be respected as prescribed
- Moisting air help to moisten the airways of lungs
Drinking more fluids
Living with
Most cases of acute bronchitis go away on their own. It is important to see a doctor if wheezing and cough continue for more than 2 weeks, especially at night ; if cough last for more than 2 weeks and a bad-tasting fluid come up into the mouth; if cough produces blood and weak feeling; if ongoing high fever; and if short of breath. These symptoms may mean you have pneumonia. Living with chronic bronchitis can be quite difficult. Not only is it progressively harder to breathe, you also become fatigued easily which makes it hard to complete basic tasks.
Self-help
Use pain medication or medication meant to soothe your throat, while also getting plenty of rest, drinking warm fluids, easing chest discomfort with a hot compress, and breathing in steam to soothe your bronchial passageways. If your symptoms get severe or persist beyond a week, call the doctor to determine the appropriate treatment.