What is bronchitis?
Bronchitis is an inflammation of the lining of the bronchial tubes. Bronchial tubes are the one which brings air to the lungs. This lining covers and protects the organs and tissues which help in respiration. When the lining of the bronchial tubes are affected due to bronchitis, the person feels harder to pass air in and out of the lungs than it normally does. The tissues become irritated and the mucus causes the passages to become clogged.  The most common symptom of bronchitis is severe cough.

Normally when we breathe in, the small hairs near the openings of the nostrils filter out most of the dust, pollen and other airborne particles. But some of them sometimes slip into the mucus membrane which has tiny hair like structures called cilia. Problem starts when germs reach cilia and other defense systems of the respiratory tract. This causes illness.

There are two types of bronchitis namely Acute bronchitis and Chronic bronchitis.

Acute bronchitis

The most common symptoms of acute bronchitis include:

* Sore throat
* Fever
* A cough that may bring up yellow or green mucus
* Chest congestion
* Shortness of breath
* Wheezing
* Chills
* Body aches

Causes, Treatment and Precaution:
Acute bronchitis is caused by lung infections, and near about 90% of these infections is viral in origin, and only 10% are bacterial. When the body’s own immune systems fight back these viruses, it results in more swelling and more mucus is produced. It takes some time for the body to kill those viruses and heal the damage caused to bronchial tubes. The viruses which cause colds are more likely to cause acute bronchitis. Bacterial infection is much less common cause of bronchitis and also very rarely fungus is found to be the cause.

The virus which is the cause of acute bronchitis is sprayed from person to person through air and physical contact. These viruses are into the air when the infected person breathes out or cough, when we breathe in these viruses it infected us as well. We can also get infected if we physically touch the infected person.

Acute bronchitis is also caused due to smoking both active and passive. Even the smoke from certain factories results in damaging the bronchial tubes. However, most of the cases of acute bronchitis usually go away on their own within a few days or a week. Some pain reliever medicines help to suppress the pain and fever due to the infection. Infected person can take cough suppressant if it is a dry cough. It is not advisable to take cough syrup if the cough brings up mucus. Because cough up will helps to clear the mucus from the bronchial tree much faster. As the main cause of acute bronchitis is viruses, antibiotics do not help in getting rid of this problem faster.

If you have an acute bronchitis, you should drink plenty of fluid like water and fruit juices. You should avoid the dry weather and you need to increase the humidity of the environment around you. Cough syrup is not recommended for children, especially for those who are under 2 years of age. Some people are treated by the asthma medicines. Asthma medicines help in opening the bronchial tubes and clear out mucus. However, your doctor will best judge the right treatment for you.

The best thing to do is quit smoking if you are a smoker. This will help the infected organs to heal faster. And secondly, always have the habit to wash your hands often to get rid of any viruses.

Chronic bronchitis

Chronic bronchitis may be caused due to one or many factors. Here the term “Chronic” stands for the condition that last for a long time. Most cases are seen when there is a repeated attack of acute bronchitis; it weakens and irritates the bronchial tubes, which can result in the medical condition called “chronic bronchitis”.

Chronic bronchitis is a type of bronchitis that lasts longer than 3 months. It often occurs with emphysema, and is also called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

The main cause of the chronic bronchitis is cigarette smoking. When the smoke from cigarette is inhaled, it irritates the airways and it produces mucus. The other causes are when people exposed for a long time to the things that irritate lungs for example chemical fumes, dust and other harmful smokes could result in chronic bronchitis.

The most common symptoms of chronic bronchitis include:

*   Coughing up mucus
*   Trouble breathing
*   Tightness of chest
*   Prolonged coughing of deep yellow or green color

If you have such symptoms from a long time, you must visit your primary health care provider. You doctor will ask you few questions like how long have you had these symptoms? Do you smoke if yes, how many cigarettes do you smoke each day? How many years have you been smoking? Do you feel irritation in your lungs when you breathe in other things or in other environments?

Your doctor will suggest you to perform certain tests to find our whether or not the disease have affected your lungs. They will do a pulmonary function test to see how well your lungs are working. In this test, you need to breathe into a machine that measures the amount of air in your lungs. Your doctor may also suggest you to do a blood tests and a chest X-ray.

Causes, Treatment and Precaution:
The best thing to reduce the possibility of causing chronic bronchitis is to quit smoke, if you are a smoker. Smoking damages your lungs. You will breathe better and your lungs will begin to heal when you stop smoking. It will also reduce your chances of getting lung cancer in future. You doctor will help you to stop smoking.  Also try to avoid other things that can irritate your lungs, such as aerosol products like hairspray, spray deodorant and spray paint. As far as possible avoid breathing in dust or any chemical fumes. Wear mask over your nose and mouth to protect your lungs, when you are in such environment.

A medicine called bronchodilator is commonly used to treat chronic bronchitis. It dilates the airways of the lungs and helps to breathe better. It usually comes in inhaler form which can be inhaled rather than taken as a pill. The doctor may prescribe you steroids if the condition does not get better by these medicines. Steroids can also be taken with an inhaler or also in the pill form.

Chronic bronchitis increases the risk of getting lung infections. Hence it is advisable to get a flu shot every year. Pneumococcal vaccination is also recommended and it should be taken in every 5 to 6 years to protect against pneumonia.

If you have a very severe type of chronic bronchitis, your lungs may get affected and the required amount of oxygen may not reach into the lungs. In that case your doctor will prescribe oxygen for you because medicine does not help in that case. Oxygen must be use day and night to get the most benefit, it will help you to breathe better and live longer.

Be fit to fight any diseases, exercising regularly can also helps in preventing bronchitis. Exercise will strengthen the muscles that help you to breathe. Your doctor may prescribe you with an exercise program called pulmonary rehabilitation at your local hospital.

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