Bronchitis
may be acute or chronic. Acute bronchitis is an acute inflammation
of the bronchi, or bronchial tubes, that carry air to the substance
of the lung. The inflammation is bacterial or viral though acute
bronchial irritation can occur from chemical fumes, smoke etc.
In acute bronchitis there is a productive cough, shortness of
breath, pain or soreness in the chest, fever, weakness and a
general feeling of malaise. Sleep disturbance from the cough
might be quite severe. The bronchial tubes often become narrowed
by the inflammation, and that, and accompanying spasm, can result
in wheezy breathing. Chronic bronchitis, on the other hand,
is a long-standing condition, which may have been contributed
to by a series of attacks of acute bronchitis. It is usually,
however the result of factors such as cigarette smoking, industrial
pollution and poor housing. The main symptoms of chronic bronchitis
are chronic cough –often worst in the morning –breathlessness and the production of excessive sputum. The symptoms can be severe and disabling leading to the almost total immobility of the sufferer. The illness itself can progress into other lung conditions such as emphysema.
The management of acute bronchitis is, generally, supportive and symptomatic – rest, warmth, plenty of fluids, soothing drinks, proprietary cough medicines. If the doctor thinks the attack is bacterial in origin, antibiotics will be prescribed, and the doctor will need little encouragement to prescribe antibiotics to patients who are frail or who have existing chest conditions, such as chronic bronchitis. The most important treatment of chronic bronchitis is to get the smoker to stop his habit. Superimposed infections should be treated by the doctor, particularly where the lungs are badly damaged and the patient has little reserve capacity. Bronchodilator sprays (from the doctor) may help a little. In severe cases of chronic bronchitis, usually associated with the lung damage of emphysema, it is sometimes necessary for the doctor to provide a domestic oxygen exchange machine which might need to be used by the patient for many hours of every day. |
