What are the Symptoms of Bronchitis? Bronchitis is one of the worst forms of respiratory infections that can cause various forms of breathing distress in the affected person. It is a condition when the bronchial tubes or the bronchi which are nothing but the airways that allow exchange of gases to occur in the lungs, swell up restricting their main function. In bronchitis the lining which covers the bronchial tubes gets inflamed eventually causing breathing distress. People suffering from bronchitis have difficulty in breathing oxygen into their lungs due to the inflammation in the airways. The function further gets restricted as they are unable to clear the heavy mucus or phlegm from their airways. Facts About Bronchitis Here are key facts about bronchitis that you need to know, for better understanding and management of this disease: • Bronchitis as a condition can be triggered by any foreign object attacking the bronchial tubes, which includes viruses, bacteria, and other substances. These foreign particles cause an irritation in the bronchial tubes, as a reaction to which the inflammation is caused. • Acute bronchitis is one type of bronchitis that lasts for a short-term and is often a result of a bout of cold, flu or a viral infection. • Chronic bronchitis is the other type of bronchitis which is a more long-term disease and could be triggered due to various factors that could belong to the environment or due to an underlying medical condition. • Smokers and people who are subjected to secondary smoking are at a high risk of suffering from chronic bronchitis. • There are various tests and scans conducted to confirm bronchitis, some of which include chest X-ray, lung function testing, and blood testing. What Causes Bronchitis? In most cases, the virus that are responsible for the cold or the flu are responsible for triggering bronchitis in people. In some cases the infection could also be triggered by a bacterial attack. Whether the attack is from a virus or a bacterium, the reaction is pretty much similar. As the body in its defense tries to the fight the germs, it causes the bronchial tubes to get inflamed, as a result of which more mucus is the secreted. Because of this the airway passage becomes narrow and hence the air flow from these passages becomes restricted making it harder for a person to breathe. Bronchitis could be triggered by any of the below mentioned factors: • Weak immune system: Children and older adults are often known to have weak immune systems. However this is true even for other adults as they
fight other medical conditions at the same time. In such cases even a simple cold or cough episode could lead to bronchitis or severe breathing distress. • Smoking: Cigarette smoking is known to be one of the major factors causing bronchitis. Both active and passive smoking could put you at a high risk of acquiring bronchitis. • GERD: Gastric reflux or GERD is a medical condition that causes the food from the stomach to go up the oesophagus. Sometimes this food and stomach acids could also get into the bronchial tubes which could in turn cause bronchitis. • Constant exposure to irritants: There are some occupations that require people to work around chemical fumes and other poisonous gases. Constant exposure to these irritants like chemical fumes, dust and so on could also increase the chances of acquiring bronchitis in a person. What are the Symptoms of Bronchitis? Sometimes the signs and symptoms of bronchitis may overlap with other conditions affecting the lungs or the breathing in a person. The symptoms of bronchitis also depend upon the type of bronchitis that one acquires. Symptoms of Acute Bronchitis Acute bronchitis is the short term illness that most often follows a bout of cold or flu. Most of the time the illness starts with the regular signs of cold, running nose, soreness of throat and other flu like symptoms. One of the major signs to look out for in case of bronchitis is persistent cough that continues for 5 days or more. Some of the other symptoms include: • Mucus or phlegm that is discolored and thick • Low or no temperature • Soreness or slight pain in the chest as you cough • Severe fatigue or tiredness • Wheezing sound from the chest • A constant rattling sound in the chest that feels like clogged up chest • Feeling cold or sudden chills Symptoms of Chronic Bronchitis When the symptoms of acute bronchitis last longer than 3 months and persist on a constant basis, then it could be a sign of chronic bronchitis. Some of the symptoms of chronic bronchitis are: • Heavy cough with discolored mucus secretion that could be yellow, white or even green in color indicating a severe infection • The cough lasts for more than 3 months, sometimes up to 2 years in a row • A heavy wheezing sound • Severe discomfort in the chest