Symptoms and Treatment of Bronchitis

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Symptoms and Treatment of Bronchitis

Bronchitis is the inflammation of the bronchi. It may develop suddenly,

following a head cold (acute bronchitis), or it may persist or return

regularly for many years, causing progressive degeneration of the bronchi

and lungs (chronic bronchitis). Certain people are more susceptible than

others; Men are more of a target to bronchitis than women, out numbering

them 10 to 1 cc the reasons are unclear. Of course smokers are 50 times

more likely to get chronic bronchitis than nonsmokers. Acute bronchitis

is a bacteria or virus infection, often following a cold smoking. People

who have acute bronchitis usually have a mild fever, soreness under breast

bone, irritated by coughing. First they have a dry cough then the cough

later brings up green and yellow mucus. The cough may persist to 4 to 6

weeks. Chronic bronchitis is produced by other chronic problems:

sinusitis, smoking, TB, etc. The Bronchi becomes thick, inelastic, and

accumulate mucus and pus in lower part of lungs instead of bringing

discharges up and out. The result is chronic cough, shortness of breath,

sometimes spasm, and frequent infection.

In acute bronchitis, the basic symptoms are a head cold, fever and chills,

running nose, aching muscles and possibly back pains. This is soon

followed by the obvious persistent cough. At first the cough is dry and

racking and eventually becomes phlegmy. The persistent cough is worse at

night than during the day, and when the person breathes in smoke and fumes.

The main symptoms most recognized in chronic bronchitis is, again, a cough,

with sputum, often occurring in paroxysms. Other symptoms in chronic

bronchitis are dependant on how much, or how little, emphysema is present.

This disorder causes the lungs to become overstretched, making the

breathing process difficult. The chronic bronchitic with no emphysema tends

to be overweight and often has a bluish tinge to his or her lips due to

lack of oxygen. Shortness of breath only occurs during exercise and

other strenuous activity. The bronchitic with a great deal of emphysema,

who has lost a lot of his or her oxygen cc exchanging ability, due to the

condition, is short of breath at all times. The bronchitic with emphysema

very often are underweight and, as the disease comes worse, develops a

barrel chest. The Chronic bronchitic also wheezes because of the

obstruction.

NOTE: Emphysema is a state of overdistention of the tiny air-containing

sacs of the lung.

The cause of bronchitis are from viral or bacterial infections which

spreads to the chest.

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