Chronic bronchitis definition

What Is Bronchiectasis? This makes it harder to Bronchiectasis is a long-term (or chronic) disease that gets worse over time. There’s no cure, but you can live with it for a long time. Bronchiectasis Symptoms • Coughing up • • • Weight loss • • Thicker • • Frequent respiratory infections Bronchiectasis Causes Your bronchial walls can slowly get thicker because of Bronchiectasis Risk Factors Younger people don’t usually get bronchiectasis. Fewer than 1 in 20,000 people ages 18 to 34 have it. But that number goes up to about 1 in every 350 people who are 75 or older. Two-thirds of bronchiectasis cases are in women. But it’s more common in young boys than in girls. You’re more likely to get it if you have: • Lung infections that are severe or keep coming back, like • Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, a type of lung • Alpha-1- • • Conditions that affect the cilia, small hair-like growths that clear mucus out of your bronchi • Immunodeficiency diseases such as • Inflammatory bowel diseases, like Crohn’s disease and • Low levels of proteins that fight infections in your • • Chronic pulmonary • Breathing in things that damage your airways like gases, smoke, or coal dust Bronchiectasis Diagnosis See your doctor if you have symptoms of bronchiectasis, especially if you’ve had them for a while. They’ll probably order tests including: • A chest X-ray and • Blood tests to check for infections • Pulmonary function tests to measure how well you’re breathing • Tests of material th...

The bronchial tubes carry air into the tiny branches and smaller cells of the lungs. In bronchitis, the tubes become sore and you develop a deep cough. Bronchitis caused by bacteria can be treated with antibiotics, but there's no drug treatment for the more common kind caused by a virus. A bout of bronchitis may involve a couple of weeks of coughing (with no laughing allowed), weakness, and loss of energy and interest in doing things. Apart from that, bronchitis is rarely serious—at least if it doesn't progress to pneumonia. Recent Examples on the Web Those pollutants can be particularly cruel to a state where nearly 1 in 10 residents have chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or emphysema, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. — Cincinnati Enquirer, The Enquirer, 8 June 2023 The ad goes on to explain how this syrup will help with everything from bronchitis to laryngitis, even tuberculosis. — Carol Sutton Lewis, Scientific American, 6 Apr. 2023 Cleanup efforts continue, and state and federal officials have told area residents that their air and drinking water are safe, even though some have been diagnosed with bronchitis and other problems that medical professionals suspect are linked to chemical exposure. — Elizabeth Chuck, NBC News, 1 Mar. 2023 Untreated bronchitis can turn into severe pneumonia. — Stephanie Innes, The Arizona Republic, 3 Nov. 2020 In fact, bronchitis from RSV infections is the leading cause of hospitalization among infants under...

People with bronchitis have swelling and inflammation in their bronchial tubes, the air passages that link the mouth and nose with the lungs. Symptoms of bronchitis include a cough, wheezing, and difficulty breathing. People may also have trouble clearing heavy mucus or Bronchitis can be acute or chronic. Acute bronchitis usually clears up, but chronic bronchitis is persistent and never completely goes away. Quitting or avoiding smoking can help prevent bronchitis. This article looks at the causes, symptoms, treatments, and prevention of bronchitis. Share on Pinterest A person with bronchitis may experience a sore throat, a persistent cough, and a fever. Bronchitis can be acute or chronic. If it is acute, it happens once, and then a person recovers. If it is chronic, it never goes away, and a person lives with it constantly, although it may get better and worse at times. Signs and symptoms of both acute and chronic bronchitis • a persistent cough, which may produce mucus • wheezing • a low • a feeling of tightness in the chest • a • body aches • breathlessness • • a blocked nose and sinuses A person with bronchitis may have a cough that lasts for several weeks or even a few months if the bronchial tubes take a long time to heal fully. The symptoms of chronic bronchitis can flare up regularly. For many people, this happens during the winter months. However, bronchitis is not the only condition that causes a cough. A cough that refuses to go away may be a sign of What causes...

Charday Penn / Getty Images How the Lungs Work To understand chronic bronchitis, it is helpful to understand how the lungs work.The primary function of the lungs is to bring oxygen into the body and get rid of waste gases. When you inhale (breathe in), you pull air into your nose or mouth. This air passes into the space behind your nose and mouth (the What Causes Airway Inflammation? Inflammation is a broad term that describes the processes the immune system uses to protect the body from harmful substances. Toxic particles and gases, such as those in cigarette smoke, cause an immune response in the airways, leading to inflammation of the airway epithelium. Acute vs. Chronic Bronchitis Acute bronchitis is usually caused by a viral infection, though some bacteria, such as Mycoplasma pneumoniae, can also cause it. Acute bronchitis may occur year-round, but it is most common in the winter. Infection and the resulting immune response cause inflammation of the medium and large airways. A Word From Verywell A description of smoking-related lung changes sounds scary, and there is no doubt that chronic bronchitis can be a serious, life-limiting disease. Fortunately, doctors have many treatments in their arsenal, including medications, pulmonary rehabilitation, and surgery in some cases. Cessation of smoking is vital to stopping further decline in lung function. Novel treatments for COPD are an active area of research, and therapeutic options may continue to increase. • Bennett, Joh...