What is Bronchitis ?
Bronchitis is a disease associated with our respiratory system. Bronchitis occurs due to inflammation of the mucous membrane of the bronchial passages in the lungs. The tiny air passages are blocked or narrowed due to swollen and inflammation of the membranes, which causes long, spells of coughing accompanied by breathlessness and phlegm.
Different Types of Bronchitis
There are two main types in Bronchitis
- Acute Bronchitis : This does not last more than 4-6 weeks
- Chronic Bronchitis : This is recurring and occurs frequently over two years.
Symptoms of Bronchitis:
Common cold, sore throat, running nose, muscular pain and fatigue are the first signs of Bronchitis. However, most of the people do not take these symptoms seriously initially, as they are mostly related to common cold. The onset of acute bronchitis takes place when dry cough accompanies the above. White colored mucous generally indicates viral infection whereas yellow or green signifies attack of bacteria.
When bronchitis attack gets severe, it is accompanied by fever (upto 101 – 102 deg F) which lasts for 4-6 days. However, coughing persists even after the fever subsides and can last for quite number of weeks, months or even years.
To summarize, the main symptoms of Bronchitis are :
- Long spells of dry cough accompanied by mucus
- Shortness of breath followed by wheezing while breathing
- Chances of high fever
- Overall fatigue and loss of energy
Causes of Bronchitis
Bronchitis occurs mainly due to virus or bacterial infections. When these germs reside and nurture in the membranes of the bronchial passages, the complications arise. Moreover, this can be triggered of by common factors such as tobacco smoke or smell of some strong odors, inhaling fumes or dust, cold air etc.
Treating Bronchitis
Most bronchitis cannot be treated effectively as they are usually caused by viral infection. When your doctor finds that there is also bacterial infection involved, he prescribes antibiotics.
On your part, the initial bronchitis treatment includes
- Giving your body complete rest and allow the immune system to fight out the virus and bacteria.
- Drinking plenty of fluids
- Staying away from irritants like smoke, dust or fumes
- Quit Smoking
- Medication as advised by your doctor.
Most doctors do not give medications for suppressing cough. Cough , in fact helps to remove the irritants from the lungs and air passages. Therefore, intake of cough medicine should be limited just enough to get rest and sleep during night. Of course, your doctor prescribes cough medicine if he finds that you are having a very bad cough and no mucus.
When you are suffering from bronchitis, it is also advisable to consult your doctor before getting vaccinated against yearly flu shot and pneumonia .
Asthma and bronchitis is not a healthy combination and only leads to more complication. People suffering from both these diseases needs to be very careful and take all precautions to eliminate these diseases.
Bronchitis cannot be cured by medication alone. Medication only helps in giving you relief from those nasty coughs. But you can definitely make sure that your immune system is strong enough to make early exit of these virus and bacteria from our body. To have a stronger immune system, eat healthy foods with plenty of vegetables and fruits and of course, do not forget to make exercise as part of your daily routine.
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