Bronchitis

January 10, 2008 Christina Wohnig Chronic bronchitis was first described in 1808, when it was observed to affect people between 60 and 70 years of age. In people who smoke, the probability of developing chronic bronchitis increases with age, and also with the number of cigarettes smoked. Cigar and pipe smokers also are liable to develop chronic bronchitis, but their risk is significantly lower than that of cigarette smokers. It is a degenerative disease, particularly when combined with emphysema, and can result in death due to respiratory failure when there is insufficient oxygen in the blood. Chronic bronchitis is now known as the “English Disease”. In acute bronchitis, the initial symptoms are a head cold, runny nose, fever and chills, aching muscles, and possibly back pain. This is followed by the most obvious symptom-a persistent cough. At first it is dry and racking, but later it becomes phlegmy. The main characteristic of chronic bronchitis is, again, a cough with phlegm, often occurring in paroxysms. Other symptoms depend on how much, or how little emphysema is present. A person with chronic bronchitis and no emphysema tends to be overweight and to have a bluish tinge to his or her lips. One early symptom for chronic bronchitis is persistent winter cough that disappears in the summer. Some causes for bronchitis are rhinovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, adenovirus, parainfluenza, and chickenpox. The best treatment for acute bronchitis is bed rest in a warm room. Aspirin will reduce the fever, and cough medicines will relieve the cough. The sufferer may need antibiotics if the cause is bacterial. Treatment for chronic bronchitis is more difficult because the patients’ lungs are already damaged, and the obstruction of the airways is not easily reversible. The doctor may prescribe bronchial dilator drugs to relieve any such obstruction, while physical therapy will help the patient get rid of any phlegm. Postural drainage can also be tried. This involves having the patient lie or sit in certain positions while the chest is tapped, causing the patient to cough up phlegm. In severe cases, chronic bronchitis may require urgent hospital treatment. With acute bronchitis, the fever may last as long as five days and the coughing for weeks after that. However, provided that the patient receives treatment and takes sensible precautions, the illness will simply run its course, and the outlook is good. There have been 1,172 deaths from chronic bronchitis. 388 people have died from acute bronchitis. 1.5 million visits were made to the hospital emergency room for bronchitis in the U.S. in 2002. The disease is found in 36% of men over the age of 30, and is four times as common in men as in women. Death rates due to chronic bronchitis are 90 per 100,000 in highly industrialized cities, and 60 per 100,000 in rural areas.
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 * Bronchitis** is an inflammation of the main bronchial tubes-the bronchi-caused by a bacteria or viral infection. It may develop suddenly, following a head cold, or it may persist or return regularly over many years, causing progressive degeneration of the bronchi and lungs.
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