You need to take antibiotics in rare cases.
What is bronchitis and how it happens
Bronchitis is an inflammation of the bronchi, tubes conducting air from the trachea to the lungs and vice versa, which is accompanied by a cough.
Distinguish two types of disease. The first is acute bronchitis. It usually takes place for 10 days, although the cough can last several weeks. Sometimes, without proper treatment, inflammation can lead to pneumonia.
The second type is chronic bronchitis. This is constant irritation and inflammation of the bronchi, which is one of the types of chronic obstructive disease of the lungs.
Where is bronchitis come from
The main cause of acute bronchitis is a viral infection. It can be transmitted from an infected person to others during coughing, sneezing, conversation or contact path.
But sometimes other factors cause inflammation of the bronchi:
- bacteria or fungi;
- External stimuli – steam, dust, smoke, including from cigarettes;
- gastroesophageal reflux disease, when acid from the stomach causes heartburn and can fall through the larynx into the bronchi.
Chronic bronchitis most often occurs due to smoking, inhalation of dust and chemicals, and sometimes with genetic pathology – a deficiency of the protein alpha -antitripsin. It is needed to protect the elastasis lungs from the enzyme, which is released during inflammation.
What are the symptoms of bronchitis
Both the acute and chronic type are characterized by the following signs:
- cough with the release of transparent or greenish sputum;
- dyspnea;
- wheezing;
- constraint in the chest, heavy breathing;
- a sore throat;
- elevated body temperature;
- chills;
- fatigue and weakness.
What to do when the symptoms of bronchitis appear
It is worth going to the therapist, and at a temperature above 38 ° C, you can call it to the house. The doctor will listen to the lungs, this is enough to make a diagnosis. Although in some cases the specialist appoints an additional examination:
- Chest radiography. The picture determines whether pneumonia has developed.
- Sputum analysis. Helps to understand whether antibiotics are needed to destroy a bacterial infection.
- Functional pulmonary tests, or spirometry. A person blows into a special apparatus that measures the volume of exhausted air and the speed of its excretion. This study is necessary for the differential diagnosis of emphysema and asthma.
How to treat bronchitis
It all depends on the type of disease.
Acute bronchitis
Doctors advise you to relax, drink more fluids, but without alcohol and caffeine. The air in the house must be moistened with a steam generator or another available method. You can also prescribe medicines:
- Right -making painkillers – to knock down the temperature.
- Expenders – if sputum comes out with difficulty during coughing.
- Inhalers to expand the bronchi.
- Antibiotics. Sometimes they are prescribed if a bacterial infection develops.
But folk remedies do not help with bronchitis. Compresses, mustard plasters, hot legs and banks create the illusion of care, but they are powerless against viruses and bacteria.
Chronical bronchitis
Treatment usually includes drugs and recommendations to change the lifestyle. So, doctors advise quitting smoking and avoiding passive smoking, do physical exercises to train breathing muscles.
There is no medicine from chronic bronchitis. Drugs help only reduce symptoms. It can be:
- Bronstillers. These are inhalers that expand the lumen of the bronchi.
- Steroid hormones. They are also produced in the form of an inhaler and help reduce inflammation.
- Antibiotics. We need if a bacterial infection develops.
If a person with chronic bronchitis has a low level of oxygen in the blood, he will be prescribed oxygen therapy, or inhalation with an oxygen mixture. And in severe cases, they make a transplant of the lungs.
How to prevent the development of bronchitis
For this, specialists of the authoritative medical organization Mayo Clinic advise:
- Avoid cigarette smoke. It increases the risk of chronic bronchitis, as it damages the respiratory tract.
- Flu -vaccine. It often causes acute bronchitis.
- Wash your hands more of10. This will help to avoid infection with a viral infection.
- Put on a surgical mask. For people with a chronic obstructive lung disease, she will help to protect themselves from dust or vapor at work, and in a crowd of people – from infection. This will reduce the number of exacerbations.
What is bronchitis and how it happens
Bronchitis is an inflammation of the bronchi, tubes conducting air from the trachea to the lungs and vice versa, which is accompanied by a cough.
Distinguish two types of disease. The first is acute bronchitis. It usually takes place for 10 days, although the cough can last several weeks. Sometimes, without proper treatment, inflammation can lead to pneumonia.
The second type is chronic bronchitis. This is constant irritation and inflammation of the bronchi, which is one of the types of chronic obstructive disease of the lungs.
Where is bronchitis come from
The main cause of acute bronchitis is a viral infection. It can be transmitted from an infected person to others during coughing, sneezing, conversation or contact path.
But sometimes other factors cause inflammation of the bronchi:
- bacteria or fungi;
- External stimuli – steam, dust, smoke, including from cigarettes;
- gastroesophageal reflux disease, when acid from the stomach causes heartburn and can fall through the larynx into the bronchi.
Chronic bronchitis most often occurs due to smoking, inhalation of dust and chemicals, and sometimes with genetic pathology – a deficiency of the protein alpha -antitripsin. It is needed to protect the elastasis lungs from the enzyme, which is released during inflammation.
What are the symptoms of bronchitis
Both the acute and chronic type are characterized by the following signs:
- cough with the release of transparent or greenish sputum;
- dyspnea;
- wheezing;
- constraint in the chest, heavy breathing;
- a sore throat;
- elevated body temperature;
- chills;
- fatigue and weakness.
What to do when the symptoms of bronchitis appear
It is worth going to the therapist, and at a temperature above 38 ° C, you can call it to the house. The doctor will listen to the lungs, this is enough to make a diagnosis. Although in some cases the specialist appoints an additional examination:
- Chest radiography. The picture determines whether pneumonia has developed.
- Sputum analysis. Helps to understand whether antibiotics are needed to destroy a bacterial infection.
- Functional pulmonary tests, or spirometry. A person blows into a special apparatus that measures the volume of exhausted air and the speed of its excretion. This study is necessary for the differential diagnosis of emphysema and asthma.
How to treat bronchitis
It all depends on the type of disease.
Acute bronchitis
Doctors advise you to relax, drink more fluids, but without alcohol and caffeine. The air in the house must be moistened with a steam generator or another available method. You can also prescribe medicines:
- Right -making painkillers – to knock down the temperature.
- Expenders – if sputum comes out with difficulty during coughing.
- Inhalers to expand the bronchi.
- Antibiotics. Sometimes they are prescribed if a bacterial infection develops.
But folk remedies do not help with bronchitis. Compresses, mustard plasters, hot legs and banks create the illusion of care, but they are powerless against viruses and bacteria.
Chronical bronchitis
Treatment usually includes drugs and recommendations to change the lifestyle. So, doctors advise quitting smoking and avoiding passive smoking, do physical exercises to train breathing muscles.
There is no medicine from chronic bronchitis. Drugs help only reduce symptoms. It can be:
- Bronstillers. These are inhalers that expand the lumen of the bronchi.
- Steroid hormones. They are also produced in the form of an inhaler and help reduce inflammation.
- Antibiotics. We need if a bacterial infection develops.
If a person with chronic bronchitis has a low level of oxygen in the blood, he will be prescribed oxygen therapy, or inhalation with an oxygen mixture. And in severe cases, they make a transplant of the lungs.
How to prevent the development of bronchitis
For this, specialists of the authoritative medical organization Mayo Clinic advise:
- Avoid cigarette smoke. It increases the risk of chronic bronchitis, as it damages the respiratory tract.
- Flu -vaccine. It often causes acute bronchitis.
- Wash your hands more of10. This will help to avoid infection with a viral infection.
- Put on a surgical mask. For people with a chronic obstructive lung disease, she will help to protect themselves from dust or vapor at work, and in a crowd of people – from infection. This will reduce the number of exacerbations.