What is Bronchitis?
Cough, phlegm and wheeze… treat it with ease!
Inflammation/irritation of the tubes that carry air to the lungs is called bronchitis. As the inner lining of these tubes (bronchi) swells up, it grows thicker and starts to produce mucus. This results in the narrowing of the tubes, causing cough with the production of thick phlegm.
Bronchitis can be acute or chronic in nature. Acute bronchitis usually has a quick onset and recovers within a span of six weeks. Most cases recover without any problems, especially if the patient has been otherwise healthy prior to the attack.
Chronic bronchitis, on the other hand, tends to present as persistent cough with mucus on most days for three months of the year for at least two consecutive years. Chronic bronchitis is more serious in nature and requires long term treatment. In chronic bronchitis, the damage to the bronchi is more deep seated and frequently occurs on account of smoking.
Acute bronchitis tends to be very common amongst both children and adults, though the prevalence rates are higher in children younger than five years. Chronic bronchitis, on the other hand, is more common in people older than 40 years.
Bronchitis – Causes
How did I land up with this cough?
The cough that has lasted for quite a few days in your case and does not get better on its own may be bronchitis, and it can be caused due to a number of reasons:
- Viruses: Several viruses have been known to cause bronchitis and some of the common ones include Influenza A and B virus; these are also commonly referred to as the flu. They are generally responsible for acute bronchitis.
- Bacteria: Certain bacteria such as ‘Mycoplasma pneumoniae’ can also lead to bronchitis, especially of the acute form.
- Inhaling irritant fumes, chemical solvents, dust, etc., over a period of time can lead to chronic cases of bronchitis, though sudden exposure can also precipitate an acute attack.
- Smoking is one of the major causes for developing chronic bronchitis.
- People with a weakened immune system are at an increased risk of developing bronchitis.
- It must be noted that people with chronic bronchitis go through periods when their condition becomes worse than general. During such times, they may develop acute bronchitis (caused by viruses or bacteria).
Bronchitis – Symptoms
Benjamin Franklin had quoted, ‘Love, Cough and a Smoke can’t well be hid’. Indeed you can’t hide it if you have bronchitis for what you will be evidently doing is coughing. Cough is the primary symptom of both acute as well as chronic bronchitis though the rest of the presentation significantly varies.
Acute Bronchitis:
Acute bronchitis usually starts with an attack of common cold – it’s often caused by the same viruses that cause a cold. The attack usually gets over within a span of 6 weeks. To start with, the symptoms include:
- Sore throat
- Runny, stuffy nose
- Fever
- Body pain
- Fatigue
- Later the symptoms may progress to the development of:
- Cough with clear mucus to start with
- Patient may develop yellow or green mucus (phlegm) during the further course (indicates a bacteria infection)
- Shortness of breath, wheezing
- Tightness in the chest or pain
- Excessive and forceful coughing may even lead to soreness of the abdominal muscles
- Low grade fever
- Sometimes, even after the infection has cleared up, the patient may still have a dry cough that lingers on for some time
Chronic Bronchitis:
Chronic bronchitis has symptoms that last a prolonged period of time and come on repetitively:
- Cough – commonly known as ‘Smoker’s cough’ this lasts for at least 3 months in a year for at least 2 years in succession
- Patient produces a lot of sputum (phlegm) which may occasionally be blood streaked
- There may be shortness of breath that may be worsened on exertion
- A weakened immune system may make the patient more prone to an acute infection
- Fatigue
- Wheezing