| What is Chronic Bronchitis? |
| Bronchitis is an inflammation of the lining of the bronchial tubes.
These tubes (bronchi) connect the windpipe with the lungs. When the bronchi
are inflamed and/or infected, less air is able to flow to and from the
lungs, and a heavy mucus or phlegm is coughed up. Many people suffer a
brief attack of acute bronchitis with cough and mucus production when
they have severe colds. Acute bronchitis is usually not associated with
fever.
Chronic bronchitis is defined by the presence of a mucus-producing
cough most days of the month, three months of a year for two successive
years without another underlying disease to explain the cough. It may
precede or accompany pulmonary emphysema.
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| What causes Chronic Bronchitis? |
| Cigarette smoking is by far the most common cause of Chronic Bronchitis.
The bronchial tubes may also have been irritated initially by bacterial
or viral infections. Air pollution and industrial dusts & fumes are
also causes.
Once the bronchial tubes have been irritated over a long period of
time, excessive mucus is produced constantly, the lining of the bronchial
tubes becomes thickened, an irritating cough develops, air flow may
be hampered and the lungs are endangered. The bronchial tubes then make
an ideal breeding place for infections.
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| Who gets it? |
| Over 8.8 million Americans are diagnosed with Chronic Bronchitis annually.
The prevalence rate of Chronic Bronchitis has been consistently higher
in females than in males. It affects people of all ages, but is higher
in those over 45 years old.
People who smoke cigarettes are those most likely to develop Chronic
Bronchitis, no matter what their occupation or lifestyle. But workers
with certain jobs, especially those involving high concentrations of
dust and irritating fumes, are also at high risk of developing this
disease. Higher rates of Chronic Bronchitis are found among coal miners,
grain handlers, metal molders and other workers exposed to dust. Symptoms
worsen when local air pollutants increase. These symptoms are intensified
when individuals also smoke.
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| How serious is it? |
| In 1999, over 8.8 million Americans were diagnosed with Chronic Bronchitis.
During that same year, over 1,100 died as a result of Chronic Bronchitis.
Together with emphysema and other chronic lower respiratory disease (excluding
Asthma), Chronic Bronchitis is the fourth leading cause of death in the
U.S.
Chronic Bronchitis is often neglected until it has reached an advanced
state because people mistakenly believe that it is not life-threatening.
By the time of a doctor consultation, the lungs have frequently been
seriously injured, leading to danger of developing serious respiratory
problems or heart failure.
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| How does Chronic
Bronchitis attack? |
| Chronic Bronchitis doesn’t strike suddenly. After a winter cold
seems cured, coughing and heavy mucus production may continue for several
weeks. Since people who get Chronic Bronchitis are often smokers, the
cough is usually dismissed as only “smoker’s cough.”
As time goes on, colds become more damaging. Coughing and production of
phlegm last longer after each cold.
Without realizing it, one begins to take this coughing and mucus production
as a matter of course. Soon they are present all the time – before
colds, after colds, all year round. Generally, the cough is worse in
the morning and in damp, cold weather. An ounce or more of yellow mucus
may be coughed up each day.
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| What treatments are
there? |
| To effectively control Chronic Bronchitis, it is necessary to eliminate
sources of irritation and infection in the nose, throat, mouth, sinuses
and bronchial tubes. This means avoiding polluted air and dusty working
conditions (a doctor may suggest changing the work environment) and
giving up smoking. Your local American Lung Association can suggest
methods to help you quit.
The discovery of antibiotic drugs has been helpful in treating acute
bacterial infection associated with Chronic Bronchitis. Bronchodilator
drugs may be prescribed to help open up air passages in the lungs, as
there is a tendency for these to close up. These drugs may be inhaled
as aerosol sprays or taken as pills.
Whatever the symptoms, all persons with Chronic Bronchitis must develop
and follow a plan for a healthy lifestyle. Improving one’s general
health also increases the body’s resistance to infections.
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| What should I do if I have
it? |
A good health plan for any person with Chronic Bronchitis should include
these rules:
• See your doctor & follow their instructions at the beginning
of any cold or respiratory infection.
• Don’t smoke! Contact your local American Lung Association
at 1-800-LUNG-USA (586-4872) for information on how to quit smoking.
• Follow a nutritious, well-balanced diet and maintain your
ideal body weight.
• Get regular exercise daily without tiring yourself too much.
• Ask your doctor about getting vaccinated against influenza
and pneumococcal pneumonia.
• Avoid exposure to colds and influenza at home or in public,
and avoid respiratory irritants such as second-hand smoke, dust and
other air pollutants.
• Research supported by ALA has contributed significantly to
scientific progress in understanding and treating respiratory disorders.
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