Emphysema Chronic Bronchitis: COPD: Definition, Symptoms,

Definition, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

What does COPD mean? COPD stands for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. It encompasses two types of disease processes namely chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Quite often, people who suffer from COPD show a combination of features of both disease processes. In lay person's term, COPD means persistent lung disease with features of airway narrowing. To be more specific, bronchitis means inflammation of the bronchi or the larger airways of the lungs whereas emphysema means destruction to the smaller airways and alveoli or airsacs of the lungs. Thus COPD is commonly used to describe chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or both.

What are the Symptoms of COPD?

The two main symptoms are cough and breathlessness. COPD sufferers commonly complain about breathlessness and cough that develop gradually over a long period of time. The cough that COPD sufferer gets are usually productive which means they commonly cough up phlegm. The cough usually comes and goes initially but tends to become persistent as time passes. Breathlessness is usually intermittent and only occurs with exertion in the beginning, however if you continue to smoke, the breathlessness persists even when you are at rest, this can be quite distressing! Other symptoms are chronic sputum production, where you constantly cough up phlegm all day and recurrent chest infection. People with COPD are more prone to chest infection for obvious reasons, as the lining in the lung looses its normal defense mechanism against intruding bugs. Even if you are a stranger in the world of Chronic Bronchitis, once you are through with this article, you will no longer have to consider yourself to be a stranger in it!

COPD a Common Condition?

It is one of the commonest conditions that require hospital admission during period of flare-ups. According to one epidemiology study in the US, approximately eight million people have chronic bronchitis whereas 2 million people have emphysema. As we can see, chronic bronchitis is more common than emphysema. A substantial amount of the words here are all inter-connected to and about Bronchitis. Understand them to get an overall understanding on Bronchitis.

How Does Smoking Cause COPD?

Smoking inadvertently damages the lining of the airways. As with any other part of the body in response to injury, inflammation occurs. Inflammation stimulates the damaged lining to secrete mucus in an abnormal amount and also causes the airway to constrict (narrow).

What Tests are Needed to Diagnose COPD?

A test called spirometry is often performed to diagnose COPD. Bronchodilators (drugs that cause the airway to dilate) are usually added to confirm the diagnosis. If the test result does not show improvement with bronchodilators, then COPD is very likely. We wish to stress on the importance and the necessity of Bronchitis Common through this article. This is because we see the need of propagating its necessity and importance!

What are the Treatments of COPD?

First of all. Stop smoking. This cannot be stressed enough. Smoking cessation is the first thing you have to do if you want to get better. As the underlying mechanism of COPD is irreversible, medications are used with an aim to slow down it's progress. Drugs that are commonly used to treat COPD include short-acting bronchodilator inhalers (i.e. salbutamol), long-acting bronchodilator inhalers (i.e. tiotropium), steroid inhalers and tablets are all available drugs for treatment of COPD. Again, no treatment is more important that stop smoking. Lung transplant is the last option and should be reserved for people with severe COPD.

What are the Causes of COPD?

Smoking. Smoking is the number 1 cause of COPD. More than 90 percent of COPDs are caused by smoking, cigarette or otherwise. About 30 percent of long term smokers will eventually show symptoms of COPD of varying degrees. Other causes include air pollution and inherited enzyme deficiency namely alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. Bronchitis Common is the substance of this composition. Without Bronchitis Common, there would not have been much to write and think about over here!

Chronic bronchitis is a very common respiratory disease that involves inflammation and infection of the bronchial tubes, mucosal membranes and tissues. The disease is manifested by an overproduction of mucus that results in temporary obstruction of the airways. In the first stages of chronic bronchitis, the disease only affects the major airways, generating milder and less persistent symptoms. However, in more advanced stages of chronic bronchitis all airways are affected, preventing the proper oxygenation of the lungs due to pronounced obstruction of the respiratory tract. As the disease progresses further, chronic bronchitis sufferers may develop serious complications at the level of the lungs. Complicated forms of chronic bronchitis often involve emphysema or pneumonia.

Smokers that suffer from chronic bronchitis are advised to quit smoking for good. Although it may take a while until the respiratory tissues and organs are completely regenerated and cured from the effects of smoking, timely quitting this self-destructive habit can prevent the occurrence of further complications. Nevertheless, the absence of smoking speeds up the process of recovery from chronic bronchitis, minimizing the risks of relapse. Ignorance is bliss, is it? Isn't it better to learn more than not to know about something like Asthmatic Bronchitis. So we have produced this article so that you can learn more about it!

An interesting fact is that chronic bronchitis also has a high incidence among former smokers, suggesting the long-term damage caused by cigarette smoking to the organism. Physicians sustain that it takes several months or even years until the undesirable effects of smoking at the level of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems disappear completely. On the premises of genetic predispositions for respiratory, pulmonary or cardio-vascular diseases, regular smokers are even more susceptible to developing chronic bronchitis. A rolling stone gathers no moss. So if I just go on writing, and you don't understand, then it is of no use of me writing about Chronic Bronchitis Symptom! Whatever written should be understandable by the reader. .

Chronic Bronchitis is Responsible for Causing the So Called "Smoker's Cough"

This persistent, highly productive cough has a pronounced recurrent character. In the incipient phase of chronic bronchitis, this symptom usually occurs in the morning and clears within a few hours. As the disease progresses, "the smoker's cough" is ongoing and it rarely ameliorates without the aid of medical treatment. When the cough produces blood or yellowish mucus, it is a major indicator of complications, suggesting the spreading of the disease at pulmonary level. Writing is something that has to be done when one is in the mood to write. So when we got in the mood to write about Bronchitis Smokers, nothing could stop us from writing!

More informations about bronchitis symptoms or asthmatic bronchitis can be found by visiting ***** About the Author: It is with much interest that we got about to write on Bronchitis Often. So we do hope that you too read this article with the same, if not more interest! .

Although there are various causes of chronic bronchitis, the disease is often linked with cigarette smoking. Recent studies indicate that both active and passive smoking greatly contribute to the occurrence of chronic bronchitis. In addition, smoking facilitates the progression of the disease and decreases the potency of specific medications. Smoking weakens the natural defenses of the respiratory tract, facilitates the proliferation of bacteria and slows down the healing of the soft tissues, membranes and organs involved in breathing. We were actually wondering how to get about to writing about Bronchitis Symptom. However once we started writing, the words just seemed to flow continuously!

Bronchitis include a cough that produces mucus (sometimes called sputum), trouble breathing and a feeling of tightness in your chest. Acute bronchitis is most often caused by one of a number of viruses that can infect the respiratory tract and attack the bronchial tubes. Even one puff on a cigarette is enough to cause temporary paralysis of the tiny hair like structures in your lungs, called cilia , that are responsible for brushing out debris, irritants, and excess mucus. Curing bronchitis is defined by the presence of a mucus-producing cough most days of the month, three months of a year for two successive years without other underlying disease to explain the cough. People who have chronic bronchitis are more susceptible to american international college the airway and lungs, like pneumonia. Pneumonia is more common among smokers and people who are exposed to secondhand smoke.

• Acute bronchitis is usually caused by a viral infection but can also be caused by a bacterial infection.
  
• Use of drugs.
  
• Symptoms of Bronchitis
  

Mild fever Coldness Chills Mild chest pains Treatment of Bronchitis Medicines called bronchodilators that are usually prescribed to treat asthma will help to open the bronchial tubes and clear out mucus.

Some cases, the doctor will recommend using a medicine called a bronchodilator that makes breathing easier. Persistent symptoms and more severe disease are treated with anti-inflammatory medicines called steroids (of the glucocorticoid type) which are given with an inhaler.

Breathing moist air from a humidifier, hot shower, or sink filled with hot water. The heat and moisture can help keep mucus in your airways moist so it can be coughed out easily. It was really tough getting information about anything previously. Now with the advent of the Internet, anyone can access any information at any time of the day.

• The best treatment is to rest, drink plenty of fluids, and use an over-the-counter medicine to treat the pain and fever.
  
• People with chronic bronchitis should stop smoking and avoid second-hand smoke.
  

Some Symptoms of Bronchitis:

Vibration in chest when breathing Fatigue and/or malaise Headache Shortness of breath Wheezing There are no boundaries on countries for one to access information is my bronchitis contagious? the Internet. All one has to do is to surf, and then the required matter is availed!

Medicines called mucolytics which thin or loosen mucus in the airways, making it easier to cough up can also be used to treat chronic bronchitis.

Bronchitis symptoms will most commonly begin to be manifest following a bout of the flu or the common cold. The body can't manage to heal itself fully, and symptoms such as heavy coughing will begin to be manifest, this coughing could be dry, or phlegmy. The cough produced by bronchitis can potentially last for several weeks, also bringing with it the possibility of pain in the chest and abdomen, as well as difficulty breathing to the point of wheezing.

These bronchitis symptoms persist for two weeks or longer or if your fever persists for several days you should see a doctor. He or she will check for signs of pneumonia. You should immediately see a doctor if at any time you cough up blood or details and signs of blood in your phlegm such as a rusty color. If your doctor diagnoses a virus there is little you can do because antibiotics do not fight viruses. In fact, misuse of antibiotics contributes to the development of drug resistant bacteria. You simply need to rest and wait for your body's own defenses to defeat the infection naturally. However you can take medications to relieve the symptoms of bronchitis such as cough and fever.

• Advil, Tylenol, and aspirin are three of the most often used medications to treat bronchitis symptoms.
  
• However, aspirin is not advised for anyone eighteen years old or younger.
  
• A complication known as Reye's Syndrome can occur which could be fatal.
  
• Drinking a lot of liquids can help to avoid the dehydration normally associated with fever.
  
• It can also relieve an irritated throat from constant coughing.
  
• Another treatment for the cough is over the counter cough suppressants.
  

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