Bronchitis

Definition




    Bronchitis is the inflammation of the bronchi.   It may develop


suddenly, following a head cold (acute bronchitis), or it may persist or


return regularly for many years, causing progressive degeneration of the


bronchi and lungs (chronic bronchitis). Certain people are more susceptible


than others; Men are more of a target to bronchitis than women, out


numbering them 10 to 1 -- the reasons are unclear.   Of course smokers are


50 times more likely to get chronic bronchitis than non-smokers.   Acute


bronchitis is a bacteria or virus infection, often following a cold


smoking. People who have acute bronchitis usually have a mild fever,


soreness under breast bone, irritated by coughing.   First they have a dry


cough then the cough later brings up green and yellow mucus. The cough may


persist to 4 to 6 weeks.   Chronic bronchitis is produced by other chronic


problem: sinusitis, smoking, TB, etc. The Bronchi becomes thick, inelastic,


and accumulate mucus and pus in lower part of lungs instead of bringing


discharges up and out. The result is chronic cough, shortness of breath,


sometimes spasm, and frequent infection.






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Symptoms




    In acute bronchitis, the basic symptoms are a head cold, fever and


chills, running nose, aching muscles and possibly back pains. This is soon


followed by the obvious persistent cough.   At first the cough is dry and


racking and eventually becomes phlegmy.   The persistent cough is worse at


night than during the day, and when the person breathes in smoke and fumes.




    The main symptoms most recognized in chronic bronchitis is, again, a


cough, with sputum, often occurring in paroxysms.   Other symptoms in


chronic bronchitis are dependant on how much, or how...