Bronchitis Symptoms To Look Out For
Bronchitis is characterized by the inflammation of the air passages. This inflammation of the airways may be caused by several factors including allergens in the air or the exposure to a viral infection.
The two kinds of bronchitis are acute and chronic bronchitis. Acute bronchitis and chronic bronchitis usually have the same bronchitis symptoms such as cough and fever like symptoms. The acute kind of bronchitis clears up after just a couple of weeks with some residual cough lingering for a couple of more weeks. Chronic bronchitis may develop slowly and can be life threatening and can cause disabilities.
Bronchitis Symptoms
Acute bronchitis usually manifests itself as cold or flu like symptoms like sneezing, a runny nose and coughing. The cough may turn painful and eventually phlegm and sputum may be spit out. Fever is also an acute bronchitis symptom along with wheezing. A bacterial infection may also be present during the acute bronchitis condition and this also has its own symptoms.
Chronic bronchitis symptoms are usually initiated with a mild cough which may bring up small to large amount of sputum. The patient may also wheeze and experience shortness of breath as this kind of bronchitis’ symptoms. The shortness of breath eventually develops to oxygen shortage in the blood and changes its composition.
Treating bronchitis and bronchitis symptoms are totally different things. For acute bronchitis symptoms, you may treat it like the common cold. Plenty of rest must be taken by the patient and he must also take in lots of fluids. Avoiding smoke and other allergens is a big factor to getting better. A humidifier is a big help to making the air around the patient more humid and less dry.
Chronic bronchitis symptoms can be treated but disease itself will need plenty of drugs and medication to help alleviate the disease. Bronchodilators and steroids are common medication prescribed to those suffering from chronic bronchitis.
Alternative ways of getting rid of bronchitis and bronchitis symptoms are to inhale eucalyptus essence and some other oils integrated with warm water. Tea made from mullein, coltsfoot and anise seeds is also recommended by alternative medicine specialists. Hydrotherapy is also sometimes used to relieve the chest and to boost the immune system.
Acute bronchitis usually clears up in a couple of week while chronic bronchitis may see improvements but will eventually lead to more complications. Chronic bronchitis is oftentimes fatal for the individual suffering from it.
Tags: Bronchitis, medication