• Bronchitis
    What is Chronic Bronchitis?

    What is Chronic Bronchitis Cough?
    Bronchitis is the inflammation of the airways that carry air to your lungs. This condition irritates the bronchial tubes and thick mucus forms in them. The mucus clogs the airways making it hard for the air to reach your lungs.

    Bronchitis causes a cough that is accompanied by mucus or sputum. It can cause wheezing, tightness in the chest, low fever, and shortness of breath. Chronic bronchitis is a serious condition that occurs for a long period of time. It is a form of the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); a lung disease.

    Symptoms Of Chronic Bronchitis
    – A persistent cough that never goes away for at least 3 months
    – It brings up mucus along with a cough
    – Coughs are associated with wheezing or shortness of breath
    – Fatigue
    – Tightness in the chest
    – Unusual fever that may suggest pneumonia or flu

    Causes Of Chronic Bronchitis
    – By far, cigarette smoking is the main cause of chronic bronchitis cough
    – Toxic gases, fumes, dust and other gases can cause chronic bronchitis
    – Air pollution can worsen the symptoms of chronic bronchitis

    How To Prevent Chronic Bronchitis?
    If you are a regular smoker, the first thing to do is to quit smoking. The smoke from tobacco causes more damage to your lungs and even cause lung cancer. If you quit smoking, you will breathe better. This will help your lungs to restore its health and also cough less. Stay away from aerosol products such as deodorants, hairspray, and spray paints. Avoid breathing in chemical fumes and dust. Use a mask to cover your nose and mouth if you are using varnish, paint, or substances with strong fumes.

    When To Consult A Doctor?
    When the symptoms get worse and the following issues manifest. You should consult a doctor immediately.
    – Bouts of coughs with blood
    – Wheezing or shortness of breath
    – Have a persisting cough for more than four weeks
    – Have a fever above 101 F or 38 C

    Diagnoses Of Chronic Bronchitis
    Your physician will first check your medical history and examine you. Then you might be recommended to do a pulmonary function test. This test will measure the working of your lungs. Your doctor may also do a chest X-ray.

    Treatment For Chronic Bronchitis
    Your doctor may advise you to get a pneumococcal vaccine or an annual flu vaccine. Other treatments may include steroids and bronchodilators.

    It is important to see a doctor as medications will help open up the airways and clear the mucus. The doctor may recommend oxygen therapy or pulmonary rehabilitation. This depends on the severity of your condition. Smokers will have to quit smoking immediately.

  • Bronchitis
    What you need to know about chronic bronchitis

    Bronchitis is the inflammation of the bronchial tubes (airways) in the lungs. This condition causes excessive mucus to be secreted into the tubes and narrowing or closing of the bronchial tubes. People suffering from bronchitis may experience wheezing, chest pain, and shortness of breath. Persistent cough with thick, discolored mucus is the most common symptom. When the inflammation of the airways resolves within two or three weeks, the condition is termed as acute bronchitis. If, however, the cough with mucus persists for more than three months to at least two years, the condition is known as chronic bronchitis. The mucus may be yellow, green, or white in color.

    What Causes Chronic Bronchitis?
    The causes of chronic bronchitis include:
    Smoking is the one of the chief causes of chronic bronchitis. Smog, industrial pollutants, and solvents may cause chronic bronchitis as well. Acute bronchitis due to viral and bacterial infections may result in chronic bronchitis, if the person suffers from repeated bouts of infection. Moreover, underlying diseases such as asthma, congestive heart failure, cystic fibrosis, immunodeficiency, genetics, and bronchiectasis are the other causes.
    What Are The Symptoms Of Chronic Bronchitis?
    The hallmark symptom of chronic bronchitis is the persistent heavy cough that brings up mucus from the lungs. Gradually, the lungs increase the production of mucus causing it to accumulate inside the bronchial tubes. This restricts the airflow making breathing slightly difficult. This may be accompanied with wheezing that worsens during any physical activity. Other symptoms of chronic bronchitis include fever, chills, fatigue, bad breath, chest congestion, and discomfort in the chest. Your skin and lips may turn bluish due to lack of oxygen in the later stages of chronic bronchitis. Decreased level of oxygen in the bloodstream may cause swelling in the ankles and legs as well. However, the symptoms may vary in severity and frequency as the ailment progresses. In some instances, the cough may disappear for some time only to return with more intense coughing bouts. Infections, respiratory tract infections, pollution, irritants, and heart problems may trigger chronic bronchitis cough, which can affect your day-to-day life.

    How To Alleviate The Symptoms Of Chronic Bronchitis?
    Natural remedies and certain lifestyle changes may help alleviate the symptoms associated with the disease, especially chronic bronchitis cough. Quit smoking at the earliest; moreover, you should also wear a mask if you live in a polluted area or work in a factory. Use a humidifier as the warm and moist air from a humidifier will help clear the airways so that you can breathe better. However, make sure that the humidifier is clean and free of bacteria and fungi. Include some sort of physical activity that will strengthen the muscles of your lungs and help you breathe properly. Start by working out slowly initially and then increase the intensity gradually. Consult your doctor and ask him to chalk out an exercise plan for you depending on your condition.

    The intensity of the coughs will reduce when your airways are clean and free of mucus. Consult your doctor, and he will give you specific medicines to open the airways, so that you can breathe easy.

  • Bronchitis
    Chronic Bronchitis – Causes, symptoms and remedies

    Bronchitis is the inflammation of the bronchial tubes (airways) in the lungs.

    This condition causes excessive mucus to be secreted into the tubes and narrowing or closing the bronchial tubes. People suffering from bronchitis may experience wheezing, chest pain, and shortness of breath. Persistent cough with thick, discolored mucus is the most common symptom.

    When the inflammation of the airways resolves within two or three weeks, the condition is termed as acute bronchitis. If, however, the cough with mucus persists for more than three months to at least two years, the condition is known as chronic bronchitis. The mucus may be yellow, green, or white in color.

    What causes Chronic Bronchitis?
    The causes of chronic bronchitis include:
    Smoking is the one of the chief causes of chronic bronchitis
    Smog, industrial pollutants, and solvents, may cause chronic bronchitis as well
    Acute bronchitis due to viral and bacterial infections may result in chronic bronchitis, if the person suffers from repeated bouts of infection
    Underlying diseases such as asthma, congestive heart failure, cystic fibrosis, immunodeficiency, genetics, and bronchiectasis are the other causes

    What are the symptoms of Chronic Bronchitis?
    The hallmark symptom of chronic bronchitis is the persistent heavy cough that brings up mucus from the lungs.
    Gradually, the lungs increase the production of mucus causing it to accumulate inside the bronchial tubes. This restricts the airflow making breathing slightly difficult. This may be accompanied with wheezing that worsens during any physical activity. Other symptoms of chronic bronchitis include fever, chills, fatigue, bad breath, chest congestion, and discomfort in the chest.

    Your skin and lips may turn bluish due to lack of oxygen in the later stages of chronic bronchitis. Decreased level of oxygen in the bloodstream may cause swelling in the ankles and legs as well.

    However, the symptoms may vary in severity and frequency as the ailment progresses. In some instances, the cough may disappear for some time only to return with more intense coughing bouts. Infections, respiratory tract infections, pollution, irritants, and heart problems may trigger chronic bronchitis cough, which can affect your day-to-day life.

    How to alleviate the symptoms of Chronic Bronchitis?
    Natural remedies and certain lifestyle changes may help to alleviate the symptoms associated with disease, especially chronic bronchitis cough:
    Quit smoking at the earliest. Also, wear a mask if you live in a polluted area or work in a factory.
    Use a humidifier. The warm and moist air from a humidifier will help clear the airways so that you can breathe better. However, make sure that the humidifier is clean and free of bacteria and fungi.
    Include some sort of physical activity that will strengthen the muscles of your lungs and help you breathe properly. Start by working out slowly initially and then increase the intensity gradually. Consult your doctor and ask him to chalk out an exercise plan for you depending on your condition.

    The intensity of the coughs will reduce when your airways are clean and free of mucus. Consult your doctor, and he will give you specific medicines to open the airways, so that you can breathe easy.

  • Bronchitis
    Chronic Bronchitis: An overview

    Bronchitis is a term used to define the condition of inflammation of the bronchial tubes. As a result of the inflammation, mucus is discharged in high quantities in the tubes. This causes the tubes to swell up and therefore close off.

    The condition can be categorized as a chronic bronchitis cough. A cough appears on a day-to-day basis, forms sputum, which lasts for a very long time going into months.

    Difference between acute bronchitis and chronic bronchitis
    The major difference between acute and chronic bronchitis is that the former is not very serious in nature. Acute bronchitis occurs due to cold or other respiratory infection and improves gradually. It recedes in a matter of a few days without leaving behind any effect. Chronic Bronchitis, on the other hand, takes place gradually with time. It results in continuous episodes of bronchitis which may last for months or years. In the case of Chronic Bronchitis, the continuous inflammation in the tube results in the accumulation of mucus in a very high quantity. This accumulation ends up blocking the air path, causing breathing difficulties.

    Symptoms Of Chronic bronchitis
    The major symptom of chronic bronchitis is the chronic bronchitis cough. It includes very heavy, continuous and painful coughing. It brings mucus from the lungs. The mucus may vary in color. It may range between white, yellow, and green.
    Other symptoms include:
    Fever
    Uncomfortable feeling in the chest
    bad breath
    Congestion in sinus
    Fatigue
    Chills

    Advanced stages symptoms:
    Change of color of lips and skin due to lack of oxygen in the blood
    Swelling in legs and ankles
    Heart conditions
    Increased intolerance for environmental irritants.
    Infections in other part of the body

    Causes of Chronic Bronchitis
    The cause of chronic bronchitis is the irritation and inflammation caused continuously in bronchial tubes. The main reason in the development of chronic bronchitis is smoking. Both first hand and secondhand smoke aids in the enhancement of the condition.

    Other causes include:
    Air pollution
    Toxic gases from industries and chemical fumes
    Repeated lung infections

    When to see the doctor?
    The major factor which helps in deciding the time to visit the doctor is the bronchial cough. Many people who smoke confuse the bronchitis cough with smoker’s cough. Such confusion delays the treatment.
    See a doctor when:

    • Your cough lasts more than three weeks.
    • You see a change in the color of your mucus or see blood in the mucus.
    • You have a persistent high fever.
    • The coughing disturbs your sleeping cycle.
    • You feel tightness in your chest and shortness in breathing.
    • If you keep an eye out for these symptoms and take precautions as and when necessary, you will soon be cured of this disease.