Dorothy FarrarChronic bronchitis
Around 13 percent of the population in Germany suffer from chronic bronchitis . Men are affected by this disease more often than women. The incidence of the disease increases with age. Chronic bronchitis is one of the most common reasons for inability to work and disability.
What is chronic bronchitis?
Chronic bronchitis is a chronic or persistent inflammation of the airways that primarily affects the bronchial area. However, not every prolonged cough falls under this definition.
According to the World Health Organization, chronic bronchitis occurs when a patient has a cough with sputum for at least three consecutive months for two consecutive years.
causes
The main cause of chronic bronchitis are the pollutants from cigarette smoke. Almost 90 percent of those who develop chronic bronchitis are or have been smokers.The course of the disease depends mainly on how much someone smokes and for how long. Passive smoking is also suspected of damaging the lungs.
Air pollution at the workplace, such as the dust exposure of miners, and the damp weather in autumn and winter also promote chronic bronchitis. A lack of the enzyme alpha-1-antitrypsin or a lack of antibodies (antibody deficiency syndrome) are less common the cause of chronic bronchitis.
When to the doctor?
Persistent breathing problems should always be examined and clarified by a doctor. See a doctor for decreased breathing, shortness of breath, or gasping if it persists for several days or weeks. The organism suffers from a lack of oxygen, which in severe cases can become life-threatening. Problems with swallowing, hoarseness or a sore throat should be checked out by a doctor if they persist for a long time and there are no signs of healing.
If the sore throat leads to a reduced intake of food or liquid, a doctor must be consulted. Eating disorders or dehydration may develop that require treatment. Chronic cough, fever, and headache should be evaluated by a doctor so that a diagnosis can be made and measures to relieve them can be taken.
Changes in the mucous membrane in the mouth and throat, persistent dry mouth or expectoration when coughing should be presented to a doctor. Smokers are strongly advised to stop using tobacco. If support is needed or if the symptoms persist despite not taking it, you need to see a doctor. If you experience dizziness, water retention in your legs or a racing heart, see a doctor. A doctor should also be consulted if you feel generally unwell or have a restricted ability to perform as you are used to.
symptoms and course
Typical symptoms:
Chronic bronchitis is characterized by a frequent or chronic cough. In addition, the sputum is becoming increasingly viscous and is becoming increasingly difficult to cough up. Bronchitics have to cough up more mucus, especially in the morning hours. If there is a bacterial infection , the mucus appears purulent. Patients are often symptom-free for hours after coughing up in the morning. The symptoms often increase in damp and cold weather. In the case of advanced chronic bronchitis, shortness of breath initially occurs under stress, which later also becomes noticeable when the patient is at rest.
Over time, chronic bronchitis develops into COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), which can lead to overinflation of the lungs ( pulmonary emphysema ). The individual clinical pictures flow into one another. While in chronic bronchitis the changes in the lungs can recede after the harmful substance has disappeared, in chronic obstructive bronchitis the lung tissue is permanently damaged.
If pulmonary emphysema occurs during the course of the disease, the lungs are destroyed. Those affected suffer from constant shortness of breath and their ability to perform decreases increasingly. Increased blood pressure in the vessels of the lungs leads to overload and damage to the heart.
Water retention , which can occur particularly in the lower extremities, is a typical sign of damage to the right side of the heart. In order to avoid these late complications, early treatment of chronic bronchitis is essential.
Diagnose
Since the symptoms typical of chronic bronchitis, such as mucous sputum, can also be caused by another disease, the diagnosis should not be made prematurely. First of all, it is necessary to differentiate chronic bronchitis from other diseases such as acute bronchitis or bronchial asthma . In addition, the present stage of chronic bronchitis must also be determined. It is important to determine whether the air sacs in the lungs have already been destroyed or whether the chronic bronchitis has already affected the heart. The most important examination methods for detecting chronic bronchitis include spirometry, lung X-rays, blood gas analysis and the electrocardiogram .
complications
The most typical complications of chronic bronchitis are shortness of breath, difficult breathing, the development of pneumonia , the development of respiratory insufficiency (disorder of mechanical breathing), enlargement and weakness of the right ventricle due to lung disease (cor pulmonale), an accumulation of gas or air in the lungs and a resulting collapse of the lungs (pneumothorax), the need for an extremely high concentration of red blood cells to transport oxygen (polycythemia), bloating of the lungs and high mortality.
Chronic bronchitis itself is a complication that develops from acute bronchitis. Patients with chronic bronchitis also have an increased risk of developing non-allergic asthma. Patients who suffer from simple chronic bronchitis but do not avoid the triggering toxins such as tobacco smoke always have to reckon with complications such as permanent narrowing of the bronchi, which, in addition to shortness of breath, often results in a drop in performance. In this case, the chronic bronchitis progresses to the second stage, the so-called chronic obstructive bronchitis.
treatment and therapy
Which therapy is used in the treatment of chronic bronchitis depends on the stage of the disease and the consequences that have already occurred. Smokers are strongly advised to quit smoking. Passive smoking or exposure to polluted air should also be avoided.
Expectorant medications provide relief from massive mucus build-up. Coughing up the phlegm can also be encouraged by percussion massages performed by a physical therapist. If bacteria are involved in chronic bronchitis, an antibiotic is usually prescribed. Drugs that expand the bronchi are used to combat shortness of breath.Inhaling salt water regularly and staying hydrated can also help relieve chronic bronchitis. Physical activity, exercised in moderation, serves to strengthen the immune system.
Light, regular outdoor exercise contributes to improving general well-being and can have a positive effect on treatment. If chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is already present, the treatment corresponds to the COPD step-by-step plan.
prevention
Since chronic bronchitis is mainly caused by toxins that get into the airways, prevention consists mainly of avoiding the triggering toxins. Even if the disease has already broken out, prophylaxis is worthwhile in terms of preventing further consequences. Above all, smoking should be given up completely. It is not enough to reduce the number of cigarettes.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.