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Overview Of Bronchitis
Bronchitis is a result of irritation, swelling and contamination of the airways in the lungs referred to as the bronchi. There are essentially two main types of bronchitis:
- Acute bronchitis – this continues for about 2 to 4 weeks and is generally responsive to medication.
- Chronic bronchitis – this type is a lot different and results in lasting damage to the interior walls of the airways.
Insistent Cough
- The common symptom of bronchitis is a cough that is generally insistent and followed by a discharge of a yellow-green phlegm.
- The cough might last long after the acute bronchitis is resolved. The constant cough might cause pain and discomfort in the chest and abdominal muscles as well.
Bronchitis Symptoms
- Coughing up phlegm that might be clear, green, yellow, white, or even tinted with a bit of blood;
- Tension and discomfort in the chest;
- Breathing becomes restricted;
- Discomfort in the throat;
- The voice will sound rough;
- Stuffy or runny nose;
- Fever with cold shivers particularly observed in acute bronchitis;
- Out of breath and loud breathing. The breathing sounds hoarse and punitive;
- Congested sinuses;
- Headaches;
- Discomfort and muscle aches;
- Loss of hunger along with exhaustion;
- Recurring flare-ups or symptoms become worse, particularly during the winter months as observed in chronic bronchitis; and
- With chronic bronchitis patients, there might be a lack of oxygen which will cause symptoms such as blue lips and nails, widening of the tips of the fingers, inflammation of the legs, or severe breathing difficulty.
Treatment Of Bronchitis
Bronchitis treatment consists of the following options:
- Ruling out other disorders that could disturb the lungs (e.g. asthma) and the heart (e.g. heart attack) and managing them separately;
- Relieving symptoms of coughing, breathing difficulty etc.;
- Treating the infection which caused the acute bronchitis;
- Decreasing the danger of chronic bronchitis;
- Decreasing the danger of other lung infections such as pneumonia; and
- Avoiding the progression of lung injury particularly due to chronic bronchitis.
Related Video On Bronchitis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10P6EaSqMpE