Before you can actually deal with bronchitis, you need to know what it is and how it affects your body. Having an education in this information puts you at the forefront of spotting symptoms and taking action before you become ill further or even lessening the effect that bronchitis can have on your daily life.
Bronchitis happens in your lungs. In fact, it is a condition that affects the inner walls in your air passage ways of your lungs. There, bronchitis causes the lining to become infected and inflamed, causing you the symptoms of fevers, chills, coughing and a pain in your chest.
These are the symptoms of acute bronchitis, something that many people will get after they have had a respiratory infection. If that is what you have, then you may have symptoms that last a few days and perhaps a cough that lasts sometimes as long as three weeks. In general, though, this type of bronchitis does not last long as is not something that is severe.
On the other hand, bronchitis that comes back time and time again is something to be concerned about. Bronchitis can lead to more serious conditions such as emphysema, asthma or even chronic bronchitis. These need medical attention as soon as possible.
If you are someone that smokes, your chances of getting chronic bronchitis are often much more severe than those that are likely to get acute bronchitis. Later in this book, we will talk about chronic bronchitis and what it does to your body as well as your health. It’s important to realize the difference between these conditions though.
The symptoms of bronchitis really are a tell tale sign of having the condition. If you have any of these symptoms, you should seek the help of your family doctor as soon as possible.
The main sign of this condition is that of a yellow/gray or even green colored mucus that comes up when you are coughing. This mucus is called sputum. The mucus should be a sign to you that something is wrong, especially with this type of coloring.
Your body produces and needs mucus because it helps to keep your body hydrated. But, when you notice it, then there is a problem.
That’s because the mucus has built up which is a sign of an infection. Normally, this mucus just slides down your throat when you swallow your saliva. When there is too much of it, though, it becomes necessary for your body to remove it in another way, in this case, coughing it up.
With bronchitis, your airways have become inflamed and when that happens they produce a large amount of discolored mucus. The coloring of the mucus should signal to you that you have an infection someplace in your air passage ways.
Although this mucus is a sign that you are suffering from bronchitis it doesn’t always have to be there. Sometimes it is swallowed (especially by children who are suffering from bronchitis) and therefore it is not noticed as often.
In addition, some people don’t have a large accumulation of the product in their throats and therefore do not cough it up. For this reason, you should realize that you can have bronchitis without having any mucus.
There are additional signs that you should pay attention to in order to tell if you have bronchitis. Remember, if you suffer from them contact your doctor to talk to him about your condition as soon as possible.
Additional symptoms of bronchitis can include any or all of these symptoms and signs as well:
When you experience any of these, especially a combination of them with mucus, you could be suffering from a bronchitis infection.
Sometimes people mistakenly believe that they are suffering from bronchitis when in fact it is chronic sinusitis that they are suffering from. During this type of infection, the lining of one or more of your cavities, which are in the bones that are around your nose, are infected.
The confusion of this condition with that of bronchitis is easy to make that is because chronic sinusitis has the same type of mucus discharge. Here, it is usually a yellow or green postnasal discharge that is significantly thick.
In addition, there is a cough that happens when you try to drain the mucus from your throat. That mucus is actually coming from your sinuses which are draining into your throat.
Although the two conditions sound like they have the same symptoms, its important to notice where the mucus is coming from as well as your secondary symptoms, which most do not find in chronic sinusitis. Consult your doctor to insure you are treating the right condition.
As we mentioned, acute and chronic bronchitis are two different things. Throughout this book, we’ll show you the differences between each. As for symptoms, there is a difference between chronic bronchitis and acute bronchitis and you should know about them.
Some of the symptoms that are signs of chronic bronchitis include these symptoms:
By working with your doctor, you can determine if what you have is that of chronic bronchitis or another condition. If in fact it is determined that you have a chronic condition, which means that your condition will continue to happen, over and over, it is essential that you find the help that you need in getting the relief that’s necessary.
Without the proper help for your condition, you’ll face conditions that can worsen as well as interfere with your health in the long term. Yet, for those that suffer from chronic conditions such as that of chronic bronchitis, there is help available that can lessen the frequency of what you face as well as improve the severity of it.
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