BronchitisWhat are the Symptoms and Treatments

Learn the best way to cover sneezes and coughs to prevent the spread of disease.

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I am coming off of pneumonia and I feel great. I play varsity football and we have a game this friday. My cough is gone but the wheezing is still there when I sprint. What can a do pre during and post game to be at my best. ( I have an inhaler also.)

I realize the importance of being a varsity football player is something you feel passionate about. That is great that you are into it and able to do it, if you weren't recovering from pneumonia. Pneumonia is not a "respiratory infection" like bronchitis. This is a major viral infection that actually fills your lung cavities with fluid that is highly infectious and it isn't "gone" just because you're done taking antibiotics and can walk and run. I speak from decades of experience as a person who has had pneumonia several times in 40 years and am a pharmacy technician. There is a recuperation period that lasts a couple of months after the doctors have treated you that is very easy to have a relapse of this nasty viral infection and if it happens, you'll be worse off than the first time. But it's your call and I know how hard it is to not be able to do something that means a lot (it's easier said than done, I know.) So if you go ahead and play, know that it's a risk and make sure you have a full inhaler on you because you'll be puffing on it hourly.

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I think it's been burned into mostly all of our brains from childhood that you need to cover your mouth with either your hand or your arm when you cough, but I was just wondering how is it different than just breathing normally? Do more germs come from coughing than simply exhaling?

something triggered the coughing that gave you a great force to expell whatever it is that you have to expell. that made coughing different from exhaling (in a germ point of view).

with exhaling, you just exhale used oxygen; while with coughing, you are actually releasing some germs from your throat.

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I recently quit smoking and I'm very proud of myself because it was the hardest thing I have ever done. Now that I think I'm in the clear from going back to it, I'm wondering if my lungs will undue the damage I have done to them and how long it will take. I smoked for about 19 years.

Congratulations!

There are three general areas of damage caused by cigarettes:

- Functional problems. Things like no taste, no smell, hacking cough, energy level will return within a few days after quitting smoking.

- Cancer and heart disease. The risk of cancer drops gradually after quitting, and levels out after about 5 years at only slightly more than the average person. In other words, if you quit for at least 5 years and don't get cancer in that time, your chances of getting it are then only a little more than the average person. Similar arguments hold for your risk of heart disease.

- COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) - Emphysema, which is destruction of the walls of the alveoli, will never recover, but it will get worse with continued smoking. Chronic bronchitis, which is damage to the walls of the bronchioles, will sometimes get better, but again, it will get worse with continued smoking.

If that's not reason enough to quit smoking I don't know what else is. Good luck and congratulations again!

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I smoked a pack a day for 26 years (1.5 packs for about 6 months prior to quitting) and am still coughing. Am I just being impatient or does it take this long for the lungs to clear up?

It takes about 2-3 weeks for the lungs to clear up. The good news is that if you haven't caused any permanent damage, your lungs will return to great shape. During this recouperative period, take 10 very deep breathes every hour or every two hours and try to expand your lungs and fill them with air with each breathe. COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) is the inability to EXHALE all of your inspired air. Inhalation should equal exhalation. So, in your pulmonary exercise (every hour or two hours) also try to exhale as much air as possible. Don't be surprised if this activity results in the urge to cough. God gave us the cough reflex to get junk out of the lungs. Cough up all the junk and spit it out. This exercise will speed your recovery, but you may feel it is unpleasant. Also, aerobic exercise will help your lungs. Aerobic means "with air" as opposed to anaerobic "without air." I can roller skate for 24 hours straight, which is an anaerobic exercise. But the minute I wave my arms up and down while skating, I become winded. This is an aerobic exercise. I confess here, that I am also a smoker. The lungs and heart are dependent upon each other. In COPD, if you're already at the point that you cannot climb a set of stairs, like 15 steps up without gasping, you're in deep, deep trouble. However, if you have spent your life smoking and exercising and you are not tons overweight, you have a great chance. I'm here to say that COPD is not a pretty sight. There are degrees, of course. The true diagnosis of COPD results in AIR HUNGER. Since this patient cannot expell their inspired air, they also have no room in their lungs for fresh air. This is probably all too technical for some…. The inhaled oxygen is attracked to red blood cells and help to deliver oxygen and nutrients to every one of your cells. The issue is compounded if you can't feed your cells properly. I think this is easy enough to understand: ALL LIVING THINGS NEED AIR AND WATER. This includes every one of the millions of cells in your body. My patients with COPD are easily identified. They are very anxious and they don't know why. They do not understand the disease process. All they know is that while they are AT REST they feel very anxious. Nurses I've worked with don't even get this. How would you feel if you had a plastic bag over your head, tied tightly around your neck and you can't get air? Commonly prescribed in this rather "late stage" is a benzodiazapine class of drug. This would be Ativan. Ativan is very good and it is very bad. Let me speak from personal experience on the subject of the class of benzodiazapines. This class is extremely addictive. EXTREMELY. My own mother received a 30 day supply from her Provider and insurance company. Well, because of the addictive qualities, she took all the doses in the first week or two and then she was in withdrawal for the last 3-4 weeks waiting to get the next prescription. The withdrawal was truly an ugly sight. Finally, there is no cure for COPD once it gets in later stages. Only to keep the patient as comfortable as possible by increasing amounts of benzodiazapines. Incidentally, this class of drug on the street is called a BENNIE. Your question was only about the coughing. There is so much more to it than that. If you have medical insurance (don't get me started on that subject), ask to be referred to a pulmonologist for a correct diagnosis and find out how far your disease has progressed. The pulmonologist will do a thorough work-up and determine your lung function. (Called Pulmonary Function Testing). Depending on the condition of your lungs, you may be prescribed hand-held inhaler/s, nebulizer treatments, oral medications, oxygen by nasal cannula (the tube in the nose). Hey, you just have a cough. Not to worry. Exercise, lose weight, continue cessation of smoking and you'll probably be just fine. …a registered nurse, happy to share with you. I don't mean to scare you to death! 26 years of smoking. COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) encompasses Emphysema and Asthma.
If you don't have medical insurance or you don't have the funds to pay for diagnosis and treatment out-of-pocket, I am sorry to say that the state of healthcare in this United States of America is deplorable. The rich keep getting richer. Don't get me started. How old are you? Have I alarmed you? Message me if you can't climb steps. I am currently unemployed and looking for a purpose in life. I don't know what I could do, but listen. I would try to help.
judyreardon@sbcglobal.net

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They can't have cough drops, or over the counter "cough" medicine anymore. I try and coax him to drink water, but that doesn't even really work. Can I use Vicks vapor rub on his nose/throat?
This is even hard because I can't always find a solution to stop by coughing tickle, so I'm really struggling to find a method that works for my son.
We already have a humidifier going in his room… I'm sure its helping, but not stopping the cough!

Vicks is perfectly safe for little ones. Use some on his chest/neck, and back, and then cover the soles of his feet with it, and put socks on him. It works wonders (even on adults)! Also, try Triaminic thin strips (they dissolve on the tongue) and work pretty well for my kids. The Vicks on the feet, though, works better than anything I've ever tried.

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I've been smoking for almost 8 years. I'm in the process of quitting right now. Hopefully by the end of January. How long will it take for my lungs to recover after 8 years of smoking?

At a guess about 3 years but there are a lot of factors involved including how much you smoked and your general health status.

Go to your doctor and ask him to carry out a spirometry test, this easy test measures your current lung function then give it a month or so after quitting and have the test repeated, this will give a good indicator of your repiratory recovery rate.

Good luck and hope your 2009 is smoke free and healthy!

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In the beginning, very few illnesses and diseases were known, people would suffer from different ailments mysterious to them. As time passed, the number of diseases cropping up continued to increase. Millions of people acquire illnesses at some point in their lives; from common colds, coughs, to cancers and heart ailments. Though these illnesses or diseases have medications, it’s still best to stay healthy. Prevention is still better than cure, as many people always say.

Perhaps you’ve heard about bronchitis. This is the irritation and inflammation of a human’s bronchial tubes and adjacent tissues and organs involved in the breathing process. Bronchial tubes filter the air before it reaches the lungs, and are covered with hair-like things called cilia. Prolonged exposure to irritants can break the defenses thereby causing infection and inflammation.

Asthmatic bronchitis is similar to bronchitis. This is a disease associated with the airways. If you have chronic bronchitis, it can develop into asthmatic bronchitis. This type of disease is quite difficult to identify and diagnose. The generated symptoms exhibited by an individual having asthmatic bronchitis are similar to other respiratory tract illnesses such as asthma, bronchitis, sinusitis, and emphysema.

Bronchial hyperactivity, immunologic abnormalities, and severe childhood infections can cause asthmatic bronchitis. Individuals suffering from serious chronic bronchitis and persistent asthma are susceptible to asthmatic bronchitis.

Bacterial infections lead to chronic bronchitis; but with asthmatic bronchitis, small particles that passes though the cilia in the bronchial tubes triggers this disease; the airways and bronchial tubes become obstructed. Mucus is produced by the bronchial tubes to cover the trachea, lungs, and soft tissues involved in the breathing process. Due to irritants, the bronchial tubes produce an excessive amount of mucus thereby blocking air access. Constant blocking of the tract is a common occurrence among patients having asthmatic bronchitis.

Prolonged smoking and exposure to irritants, pollutants, and toxins can lead to asthmatic bronchitis especially if the person already has chronic bronchitis. The reason behind this is still unknown according to experts; but they claim that some environmental factors influence such condition.

Symptoms

- wheezing
- cough
- difficulty breathing
- chest discomfort
- pain and soreness
- increased infection vulnerability

Individuals suffering from asthma exhibit the same symptoms, but those that have asthmatic bronchitis experience them in higher intensities.

Treatment includes bronchodilators, antibiotics, and steroids. You must be warned that these treatments are not that effective in treating the causes of the disease. Inhaled medicines and bronchodilators provide only temporary amelioration to symptoms because the airways are cleared. Improvement can be seen after an ongoing treatment.

Treatments

- Oral corticosteroids like prednisolone tablets
- Symptom controller like salmeterol
- Oral antibiotics
- Preventer-medication or anti-inflammatory like fluticasone
- Reliever medications or bronchodilation like salbutamol

Doctors will advice patients with asthmatic bronchitis to avoid irritants like dust, pollen, smoke, alcohol vapors, and chemicals. Some patients are even required to have flu vaccines and the necessary precaution should be undertaken against bacterial or viral infections.

Any disease when not treated at an early stage has a great chance of developing into other forms of illnesses. Clinical examinations, pulmonary testing, and laboratory analyses can establish the asthmatic bronchitis diagnosis. Although bronchitis is a common condition, misdiagnosis can occur since respiratory illnesses are somewhat similar with each other. Other doctors might require supplementary respiration tests and chest x-ray to prescribe a treatment or medication.

People of all ages may suffer from asthmatic bronchitis. This is already a major complication that needs professional medial attention. Now, you’re already susceptible to developing pneumonia.

If you want to heal permanently, you must first get an accurate diagnosis. Only then can you be given the appropriate medication and treatment. If you don’t want further complications to develop, then you’d better see your doctor. If you haven’t been diagnosed yet and you think you have the symptoms mentioned above, then try to seek medical help.

Addressing any disease immediately can prevent complications, and not only that, you get to save money on medical costs. If you let your condition worsen, then you’re bound to spend a huge amount of money in the future for medications alone.

So why wait before things get complicated? Act now and look for a doctor that can diagnose your condition. He or she is the best person to assess your condition and determine the right medication suited for you.

I was in the hospital for about a week with pneumonia. I asperated into my right lung, and it was almost completely full. I am a soccer player, so i need to be able to run for long periods of time without losing my stamina. I was wondering about how long it will be untill i can breathe normally again?!

usually after seven to fourteen days and initially take five day course of antibiotic and do physiotherapy.and after words start physical exercises. ideally you should be fit within a month.

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Generally, bronchitis is the irritation ad inflammation of the bronchial tubes as well as neighboring organs and tissues that are accessories in breathing. The main purpose of the bronchial tubes is to filter the air that passes through the respiratory tract as it sets out to the lungs. These tubes are covered with small hair-like projections that thwart irritants or dirt (such as dust or pollen) from entering the crucial parts of the respiratory tract. These hair-like projections are called cilia. But long term contact with chemicals, viruses, or even dust particles will facilitate these irritants to shatter the respiratory system’s natural defenses which will eventually cause infection and inflammation.

Asthmatic bronchitis is a category of COPD or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This type of pulmonary disease is typically acquired by individuals suffering from chronic bronchitis and it is also hard to differentiate from other lung diseases because their symptoms are quite similar. Other similar respiratory tract diseases are sinusitis, bronchitis, emphysema, and the common asthma.

As an overview, asthma is persistent inflammatory disease of the respiratory tract that causes the airway passages to be extra sensitive, mucus production, and mucus edema. What differentiates asthma from other obstructive lung diseases is that it is mostly reversible, with or without treatment. Individuals afflicted with asthma may experience symptom-free episodes interchanging with acute asthmatic attacks which could last for as little as a few minutes to as long as days. Factors that set off asthmatic attacks are similar to that of asthmatic bronchitis (such as smoking, dust, etc.) but common asthma is primarily triggered by allergens. Common allergens may be due to the season (weed pollens or grass tree) or persistent (dust, roaches, or animal dander). Most asthmatic individuals are very sensitive to an assortment of triggers.

Meanwhile, the primary cause of bronchitis is bacterial infections, but asthmatic bronchitis is thought to be activated by tiny specks that break through the safety walls made of cilia of the bronchial tubes. And like other COPDs, asthmatic bronchitis also involves congestion of the respiratory tract. Bronchial tubes produce mucus under normal circumstances, this mucus covers the trachea, lungs and other organs in the respiratory system. Nonetheless, in the existence of irritants, an overproduction of mucus occurs, which consequently obstructs the airways. Continuous mucoid obstruction of the respiratory tract is fairly widespread among asthmatic bronchitis patients.

Causative factors that may have contributed to the development of asthmatic bronchitis are relentless childhood infections, hyperactivity of the bronchus or immunologic aberrations. Individuals who are either long suffering from asthma and/or other grave types of chronic bronchitis are also highly vulnerable to asthmatic bronchitis.

Furthermore, individuals who are suffering from chronic bronchitis eventually contracts asthmatic bronchitis due to long term exposure to pollutants or environmental toxins and mainly cigarette smoking. Although many medical professionals are still in the shadows of what the precise cause of asthmatic bronchitis, studies increasingly shows that it is primarily caused by environmental factors.

General symptoms of asthmatic bronchitis includes dyspnea or difficulty of breathing and shortness of breath, cough, chest discomforts, wheezing that lasts for several weeks, fatigue or general malaise, pain, weight loss, a general feeling of soreness, and high risk of susceptibility to infections. Although these are also observed among common asthmatic patients, individuals suffering from asthmatic bronchitis have symptoms that are more profound. These symptoms also have higher frequencies compared to the common asthma. An additional warning sign is the difficulty of reaching high or low notes when singing.

Medical treatment for asthmatic bronchitis is similar to that of chronic bronchitis. Medications include bronchodilators, steroids, and antibiotics. But these treatments do not really cure the illness; it helps in alleviating its symptoms and as much as possible give comfort to the patient.

A lot of asthmatic bronchitis sufferers are obliged to take long term treatments which help improve their health situation after an extensive time. Patients are counseled to steer clear from irritants like dust, pollen, smoke, chemicals, and alcohol fumes. They are also advised to avoid bacterial infection, thus they should avoid crowds as much as possible. If it is unavoidable, patients are obliged to wear masks to cover their nose and mouth to prevent bacteria from entering the respiratory tract.

Patients are also required to obtain influenza vaccines. They should also be educated about other precautionary measures to avoid further viral or bacterial infection.