Bronchitis is an inflammation of the lining of the bronchial tubes. When suffering from bronchitis, the patient often coughs and coughs up sputum. Currently, the rate of people suffering from bronchitis is increasing, especially children and the elderly who are at high risk of getting sick. Let’s find out how to treat Bronchitis effectively in this article!
Contents
What is bronchitis?
Bronchitis is an inflammation of the lining of the bronchial tubes. When suffering from bronchitis, the patient often coughs and spits up sputum. There are two types of bronchitis, including acute and chronic bronchitis:
Acute bronchitis: Acute inflammation of the bronchial mucosa in a previously uninjured person, usually caused by bacteria, viruses, or both.
Chronic bronchitis: When it moves into the chronic stage, it will continuously irritate the bronchial tubes, which is one of the main causes of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This condition can last for months or even years. Chronic bronchitis is much more severe than acute bronchitis.
What causes bronchitis?
The main cause of acute bronchitis is usually a virus, but it can also be caused by a bacterial infection or a lot of exposure to substances that irritate the lungs, for example, smoke, dust, pollution, etc. air pollution.
Chronic bronchitis is often caused by repeated inflammation of the bronchial mucosa over a long period of time. Subjects at high risk of chronic bronchitis are those who are regularly exposed to occupational lung irritants (such as construction workers, coal miners, and metal workers) and smokers. The level of air pollution is also one of the factors that contribute to the development of the disease.
Factors that increase the risk of bronchitis
Here are some of the main factors that increase your risk of developing bronchitis:
Tobacco smoke: this is considered a leading factor in the development of the disease. People who regularly smoke or live in smoke-free environments are also at increased risk for acute or chronic bronchitis.
Poor resistance: When the body has another acute illness, such as a cold or a chronic condition that damages the immune system, it is also easy to get bronchitis. Those at high risk of infection are the elderly, infants, and young children.
Exposure to irritants at work: if you regularly work in an environment containing lung irritants, there is a high chance you will get bronchitis. Such as textile, mechanical or chemical, or smoke exposure.
Gastroesophageal reflux: Repeated episodes of heartburn can irritate the throat and increase the risk of bronchitis.
Gastroesophageal reflux: Repeated episodes of heartburn can irritate the throat and increase the risk of bronchitis.
Symptoms of Bronchitis
Signs and symptoms commonly seen in people with bronchitis include:
- A cough
- Sputum, which may be white, yellow, or green (rare), and cough may be accompanied by blood.
- Tired
- Fever, chills
- Shortness of breath or chest tightness
If you have acute bronchitis, you will have cold symptoms such as a slight headache or body aches, in addition, the cough will persist for several weeks after the inflammation has gone. Chronic bronchitis, it will probably take longer before it gets worse. At this point, the cough and other symptoms may worsen, and there is a high risk that you will have an acute infection in the early stages of chronic bronchitis.
When do you need to see a doctor?
You should see your doctor if you have any of the following symptoms:
- Cough lasts more than 3 weeks
- Difficulty sleeping
- Fever higher than 38 degrees C
- Cough with mucus and blood
- Shortness of breath, chest tightness
Diagnosis of acute bronchitis
Acute bronchitis can be diagnosed through a review of the development of symptoms and a physical examination. The doctor will use a stethoscope to listen to the patient’s breathing sounds, which can then detect other abnormal sounds in the lungs.
In addition, other tests are also done to diagnose the disease including:
Chest X-ray.
Spirometry: this is a test that evaluates your lung function. It measures the amount of air the lungs can hold and checks the rate at which air is pushed out of the lungs. This test also helps your doctor identify asthma or certain other breathing problems.
Sputum test: to determine if there is the presence of bacteria or viruses in the sputum.
Blood tests: suggest infection if white blood cells are elevated, suggest virus if white blood cells are not elevated, and consider inflammatory factors and other important markers.
Methods to treat bronchitis
For cases of acute bronchitis, the doctor will prescribe the patient a number of medications to help relieve symptoms, including:
Antibiotics: Although antibiotics are powerful drugs to treat bacterial infections, acute bronchitis is usually caused by a virus, so it’s unlikely to treat it. However, the doctor can still prescribe depending on the condition of each patient.
Cough medicine: If you have too much cough, it will seriously damage your throat and bronchi. If your cough prevents you from sleeping, you need to use cough suppressants.
Certain other medicines: If you have allergies, asthma, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), your doctor may prescribe an inhaler or other medicines to help reduce inflammation and relax your lungs. manage.
If you have chronic bronchitis, you should undergo rehabilitation. This therapy helps you design an exercise program that will help you regulate your breathing, relieve symptoms caused by bronchitis, and improve your health.
Ways to help prevent bronchitis
To help reduce your risk and prevent bronchitis, you can do the following:
- Stay away from cigarette smoke
- Drink a lot of water
- Get vaccinated every year to help keep you healthy and prevent the flu and protect against some types of pneumonia
- Wash your hands with hand sanitizer frequently to reduce your risk of getting sick
- Avoid contact with people with colds or flu if you have health problems
- Wear a medical mask: If you have COPD, you should wear a mask at work if you are exposed to smoke or dust or when in crowded places.
Final thought
Bronchitis is a dangerous disease that needs to be dealt with, it might damage your body and weaken your overall well-being and drain your energy, make sure you follow the aforementioned instructions to cure Bronchitis effectively!
Top News hopes this article can help you learn more about how to treat Bronchitis and wishes your health always well!
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