Chronic bronchitis is a type of bronchitis, a condition in which the bronchial tubes become inflamed. The bronchial tubes transport air to and from the lungs. Bronchitis is chronic when the irritation is a constant presence. This can be due to smoking or exposure to other harmful gases. Chronic bronchitis is one disease that falls under Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD). COPD is considered a group of inflammatory lung diseases, and chronic bronchitis is one of the most common lung diseases that contributes to COPD. A doctor may refer to chronic bronchitis as COPD.
The symptoms of chronic bronchitis are similar to those of acute bronchitis. If you’ve been experiencing a cough for 3 months or more, it may be chronic bronchitis.
Symptoms include:
If you’re living with chronic bronchitis, you will probably experience bouts of worsening symptoms for a few days every now and then.
Cigarette smoke is the most common cause of chronic bronchitis. The disease can also be caused by exposure to hazardous gases, pollution, and dust at work.
Risk factors for chronic bronchitis include:
In order to diagnose chronic bronchitis, a medical professional will need to gather a detailed medical history. For bronchitis to be classified as chronic, the patient needs to have a cough that has lasted 3 months or more. A medical professional will look for multiple episodes of a cough that lasted 3 months or more over the past 2 years.
To make a definitive diagnosis, a medical professional may order an X-ray or computerised tomography (CT) scan to rule out any other lung diseases that may explain the cough. A lung function test may also be performed to measure how much air your lungs are capable of holding and how fast your lungs can push air out. A lung function test may indicate the presence of other lung-related diseases like asthma.
Chronic bronchitis indicates the presence of COPD, which has a few complications for patients that a medical professional will discuss with you. These include:
Chronic bronchitis treatment consists largely of medications that assist with ease of breathing. Oxygen therapy and pulmonary rehabilitation are also two effective treatment methods for chronic bronchitis. Pulmonary rehabilitation teaches those living with chronic bronchitis ways to breathe with more ease. The largest lifestyle change anyone with chronic bronchitis can make is the decision to stop smoking. This improves quality of life, prolongs life span, and often effectively manages symptoms.
The easiest way to prevent chronic bronchitis is to not smoke. Other prevention techniques include wearing face masks in environments where there are occupational hazards like dust or chemical fumes. It is also advisable to wear face masks around those that may have a tuberculosis, since it is shown to make people more likely to develop chronic bronchitis later in life.