Bronchitis
Uploaded by Admin on Feb 26, 1999
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 -- the reasons are unclear. Of course smokers are 50 times more likely to get chronic bronchitis than non-smokers. 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 problem: 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.
Symptoms
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-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.
Causes
The cause of bronchitis are from...