Bronchitis

Bronchitis is an inflammation of the bronchial tubes, the airways that carry air to your lungs. It causes a cough that often brings up mucus. It can also cause shortness of breath, wheezing, a low fever, and chest tightness. Dr. Anand Singh is a bronchitis specialist in The Clementine Churchill Hospital in Harrow, and Syon Clinic in Brentford, West London, OSD Healthcare Hertfordshire treated thousands of patients successfully. Bronchitis treatment consists of self care and cough medications. There are two main types of bronchitis: acute and chronic.

Chronic bronchitis is one type of COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). The inflamed bronchial tubes produce a lot of mucus. This leads to coughing and difficult breathing. Cigarette smoking is the most common cause. Breathing in air pollution, fumes, or dust over a long period of time may also cause it.

To diagnose chronic bronchitis treatment, your doctor will look at your signs and symptoms and listen to your breathing. You may also have to undergo other tests.

Cause of Bronchitis

Most often, the same viruses that give you a cold or the flu cause acute bronchitis. But sometimes, bacteria bring it on.

In both of these cases, as your body fights the germs, your bronchial tubes swell and make more mucus. That means you have smaller openings for air to flow through, which can make it harder to breathe.

Chronic bronchitis causes include:

  • Breathing in air pollution and other things that bother your lungs, like chemical fumes or dust, over time.
  • Smoking or breathing in secondhand smoke for a long time.

Risk

Dr. Anand Singh – Bronchitis specialist in The Clementine Churchill Hospital in Harrow, and Syon Clinic in Brentford, West London, OSD Healthcare Hertfordshire believes that you have a bigger chance of getting either kind of bronchitis if:

  • You smoke.
  • You have asthma and allergies.
  • You have a weaker immune system.

Prevention

To lower your chances of getting acute bronchitis or a flare-up of chronic bronchitis Dr. Anand Singh gives these 5 important precautions:

  • Stay away from cigarette smoke.
  • Get the flu vaccine since you can get bronchitis from the flu virus.
  • Make sure your pertussis vaccine is up to date.
  • Wash your hands often.
  • Wear a mask when you’re around things that bother your lungs, such as paint fumes.

Diagnosis

Your doctor usually can tell whether you have bronchitis based on a physical exam and your symptoms. They’ll ask about your cough, such as how long you’ve had it and what kind of mucus comes up with it. They’ll also listen to your lungs to see whether anything sounds wrong, like wheezing.

Your doctor may need to do some tests like

  • Check the oxygen levels in your blood.
  • Do a lung function test.
  • Give you a chest X-ray.
  • Order blood tests.
  • Test your  sputum /mucus to rule out diseases caused by bacteria.

Treatment of Bronchitis

Most of the time, acute bronchitis goes away on its own within a couple of weeks.

If yours is caused by bacteria (which is rare), your doctor may give you antibiotics. If you have asthma or allergies, or you’re wheezing, they might suggest an inhaler. This helps open your airways and makes it easier to breathe.

To ease your acute bronchitis symptoms, you can:

  • Drink a lot of water
  • Get plenty of rest
  • Use a humidifier or steam