How to Win Your War Against Bronchitis: Health Issues
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About this ebook
Bronchitis is an inflammation of the lining of your bronchial tubes, which carry air to and from your lungs. People who have bronchitis often cough up thickened mucus, which can be discolored. Bronchitis may be either acute or chronic.
Often developing from a cold or other respiratory infection, acute bronchitis is very common. Chronic bronchitis, a more serious condition, is a constant irritation or inflammation of the lining of the bronchial tubes, often due to smoking.
Acute bronchitis, also called a chest cold, usually improves within a week to 10 days without lasting effects, although the cough may linger for weeks.
However, if you have repeated bouts of bronchitis, you may have chronic bronchitis, which requires medical attention. Chronic bronchitis is one of the conditions included in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
During the first few days of illness, it can be difficult to distinguish the signs and symptoms of bronchitis from those of a common cold. During the physical exam, your doctor will use a stethoscope to listen closely to your lungs as you breathe.
In some cases, your doctor may suggest the following tests:
- Chest X-ray. A chest X-ray can help determine if you have pneumonia or another condition that may explain your cough. This is especially important if you ever were or currently are a smoker.
- Sputum tests. Sputum is the mucus that you cough up from your lungs. It can be tested to see if you have illnesses that could be helped by antibiotics. Sputum can also be tested for signs of allergies.
- Pulmonary function test. During a pulmonary function test, you blow into a device called a spirometer, which measures how much air your lungs can hold and how quickly you can get air out of your lungs. This test checks for signs of asthma or emphysema.
Desmond Gahan
Desmond Gahan BA., (Dip. Applied Psychology) is the author and publisher of many non fiction books. His special area is psychology and psychopathology. He lives in Dublin Ireland.
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How to Win Your War Against Bronchitis - Desmond Gahan
How To Win Your War Against Bronchitis
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Contents
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How To Win Your War Against Bronchitis
The Causes Of Bronchitis
Bronchitis is a condition in which you can have an illness that is both infectious and one that is noninfectious. In most cases, it is a virus that causes bronchitis to happen. This virus is generally the same type that causes a common cold to happen in most people.
On the other hand, bronchitis can also be a condition that is caused by the pollutants in the air that you breathe including from cigarette smoke. Smog and chemicals that are used to clean with are additional causes for bronchitis.
Another cause of bronchitis happens because of the acids that are normally found in your stomach backing up, literally, up into your gastro esophageal track. This is sometimes called GERD, or gastro esophageal reflux disease.
Some people that work in conditions that are not favorable for good, clean breathing also develop bronchitis. This type of bronchitis is known as an occupational bronchitis in which case the pollutants including dusts and/or fumes get into the breathing airways and cause illness.
Usually, when the person stops working there, or improves the breathing circumstances, their bronchitis symptoms also improve and often the irritation will stop.
The causes of chronic bronchitis are often a bit more drastic. If you have this condition, the walls of your bronchial tubes have become thickened and they are inflamed to such a degree that it is considered nearly permanent. When this happens, chronic bronchitis is evident.
Most with this condition must cough at least some time during each day to clear their throat. This is especially true of those that have chronic bronchitis due to their smoking habits. If you have to cough at least one time every day for at least three months of the year, you are considered to have chronic bronchitis.
Chronic bronchitis is often caused by smoking, but it’s not the only time that you can get it. You can also get chronic bronchitis from air pollution that is severe or toxic gasses that are in the area in which you work.
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Those that suffer from chronic symptoms of bronchitis often develop asthma because of it. This is caused by the long term inflammation of your air passageways. In any case, it is essential that you get help from your doctor in dealing with your condition. Those that are suffering from chronic bronchitis have a very serious illness to consider.
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How To Win Your War Against Bronchitis
Seeking A Doctor’s Help For Bronchitis
Depending on the type of bronchitis that you have and its severity determines if you should seek help from a doctor for it. We’ve talked about when you need to seek a doctor’s help in the last chapter. But, what happens when you go to visit your doctor?
To determine if you have bronchitis, your doctor will likely listen to your chest. This helps him to determine what is happening inside by listening for mucus build ups. In addition, he or she may also do a chest x-ray which will show the inflamed and enlarged air passageways that are likely the problem.
Some doctors will also want a sample of the mucus to determine what type and how much bacteria are in your system. The sample will consider the amount of bacteria found in the sputum when you cough.
Those that are suffering from chronic bronchitis are likely to have additional testing to insure that that is what you are suffering from.
The doctor will do a series of tests that will take into account your symptoms for conditions such as asthma and emphysema. To do this, a pulmonary function test which is also called a PFT will be used. During this test, you are told to blow into a device which is called a spirometer. This determines how much volume of air your lungs have after you take a deep breath and have blown it out.
The test is simple and takes just a minute to perform. It causes you no pain at all. In fact, if you have had bronchitis several times in the past year, ask your doctor to perform a pulmonary function test to help to determine if there is a possibility of facing chronic bronchitis.
Generally, from these tests, your doctor will be able to rule bronchitis or not. If you are diagnosised with it, the next step will be to treat it, and if treatment is even needed in your case. Doctors will determine the level of severity as well as the likeliness of treatment that you need.
If your doctor determines that you have asthma, or that your chronic condition is likely to develop asthma, then he or she may recommend additional treatment for your condition. Those
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that are diagnosised with asthma will need an inhaler and sometimes additional asthma medications.
These products have the goal of reducing the amount of inflammation in your air passageways as well as open them up to allow for better passage to your lungs. This type of medication can be vitally important to those suffering