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Bronchitis
Bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchi (large and medium-sized airways) of the lungs. Symptoms include coughing up mucus, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest discomfort.The two main types of bronchitis are acute (short term) and chronic (ongoing).
Acute bronchitis usually has a cough that lasts around three weeks. In more than 90% of cases the cause is a viral infection. These viruses may be spread through the air when people cough or by direct contact. Risk factors include exposure to tobacco smoke, dust,... A small number of cases are due to high levels of air pollution or bacteria. Treatment of acute bronchitis typically involves rest, paracetamol and NSAID's to help with the fever.
Contact your GP if you:
- still have complaints after one week
- have a fever a few days in a row and feel sick
- cough up blood
- have green or yellowish mucus which may indicate a bacterial infection.
Acute bronchitis is one of the most common diseases. About 5% of adults are affected and about 6% of children have at least one episode a year.
Chronic bronchitis is defined as a productive cough that lasts for three months or more per year for at least two years. Most people with chronic bronchitis have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Tobacco smoking is the most common cause, with a number of other factors such as air pollution and genetics playing a smaller role.
Chronic bronchitis is a serious, long-term medical condition. Early diagnosis and treatment, combined with quitting smoking and avoiding second hand smoke, can improve quality of life. The chance of complete recovery is low for people who have severe chronic bronchitis.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the name for a collection of lung diseases including chronic bronchitis, emphysema and chronic obstructive airways disease.
In 2010, COPD affected 329 million people or nearly 5% of the population. In 2013, it resulted in 2.9 million deaths up from 2.4 million deaths in 1990. COPD is common in later life: it is likely that over a million individuals currently have the disease in GB and there are over 25 000 deaths each year.
People with COPD have difficulties breathing, primarily due to the narrowing of their airways, this is called airflow obstruction.
Typical symptoms of COPD include:
- increasing breathlessness when active
- a persistent cough with phlegm
- frequent chest infections
Although COPD causes about 25,000 deaths a year in the UK alone, severe COPD can usually be prevented by making changes to your lifestyle. If you smoke, stopping is the single most effective way to reduce your risk of getting the condition.
Diagnosis
It is important that COPD is diagnosed as early as possible so treatment can be used to try to slow down the deterioration of your lungs.
COPD is usually diagnosed after a consultation with your doctor, which may be followed by breathing tests. If you are a COPD patient and would like to know what COPD means for your health in general you can take this test. The answers and test score can be used by you and your GP to optimize your treatment and help you deal with this disease.
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