Bronchitis

Bronchitis

1. BRONCHITIS

 Bronchitis is an inflammation of the lining of
the bronchial tubes, the airways that connect
the trachea to the lungs.

 This delicate, mucus-producing lining covers
and protects the respiratory system (the
organs and tissues involved in breathing).

 When a person has bronchitis, it may be
harder for air to pass in and out of the lungs,
the tissues become irritated, and more
mucus is produced.

 The most common symptom of bronchitis is a
cough.

 When breathe in inhale, small, bristly hairs
near the openings of your nostrils filter out
dust, pollen, and other airborne particles.
Bits that slip through become attached to the
mucus membrane, which has tiny, hair -like
structures called cilia on its surface.

2.  But sometimes germs get through the cilia
and other defense systems in the respiratory
tract and can cause illness.

 Bronchitis can be acute or chronic.
An acute medical condition comes on quickly
and can cause severe symptoms, but it lasts
only a short time (no longer than a few
weeks).

 Acute bronchitis is most often caused by one
of a number of viruses that can infect the
respiratory tract and attack the bronchial
tubes. Infection by certain bacteria can also
cause acute bronchitis. Most people have
acute bronchitis at some point in their lives.

 Chronic bronchitis, on the other hand, can be
mild to severe and is longer lasting — from
several months to years. With chronic
bronchitis, the bronchial tubes continue to be
inflamed (red and swollen), irritated, and
produce excessive mucus over time.

 The most common cause of chronic
bronchitis is smoking.

3.  People who have chronic bronchitis are more
susceptible to bacterial infections of the
airway and lungs, like pneumonia.

 In some people with chronic bronchitis, the
airway becomes perma nently infected with
bacteria.

 Pneumonia is more common among smokers
and people who are exposed to secondhand.

Symptoms
 Acute bronchitis often starts with a dry,
annoying cough that is triggered by the
inflammation of the lining of the bronchial
tubes.
Other symptoms may include:-
 Cough that may bring up thick white,
yellow, or greenish mucus
 Headache
 Generally feeling ill
 Chills
 Fever
 Shortness of breath
 Soreness or a feeling of tightness in the
chest

4.  Wheezing (a whistling or hissing sound
with breathing)
 Chronic bronchitis is most common in
smokers, although people who have repeated
episodes of acute bronchitis sometimes
develop the chronic condition.
 Except for chills and fever, someone with
chronic bronchitis has a chronic productive
cough and most of the symptoms of acute
bronchitis, such as shortness of breath and
chest tightness, on most days of the month,
for months or years.
 A person with chronic bronchitis often takes
longer than usual to recover from colds and
other common respiratory i llnesses.
Wheezing, shortness of breath, and cough
may become a part of daily life. Breathing
can become increasingly difficult.
 In people with asthma, bouts of bronchitis
may come on suddenly and trigger episodes
in which they have chest tightness, shortness
of breath, wheezing, and difficulty exhaling
(breathing out).
 In a severe episode of asthmatic bronchitis,
the airways can become so narrowed and
clogged that breathing is very difficult.
Causes

5.  Acute bronchitis is usually caused by viruses,
and it may occur together with or following a
cold or other respiratory infection.
 Germs such as viruses can be spread
from person to person by coughing.
 They can also be spread if you touch
your mouth, nose, or eyes after coming
into contact with respiratory fluids from
an infected person.
 Smoking (even for a brief time) and being
around tobacco smoke, chemical fumes, and
other air pollutants for long periods of time
puts a person at risk for developing chronic
bronchitis.
 Some people who seem to have repeated
bouts of bronchitis — with coughing,
wheezing, and shortness of breath — actually
might have asthma.

Diagnosis
 If a doctor thinks you may have bronchitis,
he or she will examine you and listen to your
chest with a stethoscope for signs of
wheezing and congestion.

6.  Because acute bronchitis is most often
caused by a virus, the doctor may not
prescribe an antibiotic (antibiotics only work
against bacteria, not viruses).
 The doctor will recommend that you drink
lots of fluids, get plenty of rest, and may
suggest using an over -the-counter or
prescription cough medicine to relieve your
symptoms as you recover.
 In some cases, the doctor may prescribe a
bronchodilator or other medication typically
used to treat asthma. These medications are
often given through inhalers or nebulizer
machines and help to relax and open the
bronchial tubes and clear mucus so it's easier
to breathe.
 If you have bronchitis and don't smoke, try
to avoid exposure to secondhand smoke.
Smoking and Bronchitis
 Tobacco smoke is the cause of more than
80% of all cases of chronic bronchitis. People
who smoke also have a much harder time
recovering from acute bronchitis and other
respiratory infections.
 Smoking causes lung damage in many ways.
For example, it can cause temporary
paralysis of the cilia and, over time, can kill

7. the ciliated cells in the lining of the airways
completely.
 Eventually, the airway lining stops clearing
smoking-related debris, irritants, and excess
mucus from the lungs altogether. When this
happens, a smoker's lungs bec ome even
more vulnerable to infection.
 Over time, harmful substances in tobacco
smoke permanently damage the airways,
increasing the risk for emphysema, cancer,
and other serious lung diseases.
 Smoking also causes the mucus -producing
glands to enlarge and make more mucus.
Along with the toxic particles and chemicals
in smoke, this causes a smoker to have a
chronic cough.
Prevention
 If you don't smoke, don't ever start smoking
— and if you do smoke, try to quit or cut
down.
 Try to avoid being around smokers because
even secondhand smoke can make you more
susceptible to viral infections and increase
congestion in your airway.

8.  Also, be sure to get plenty of rest and eat
right so that your body can fight off any
illnesses that you come in contact with.

Treatment
 In most cases, bronchiolitis is mild and gets better
without needing treatment within two to three weeks.
 A small number of children will still have some
symptoms after four weeks, and in a few cases the
infection is severe enough to require hospital treatment.
Treatment at home
 Check on child regularly, including throughout the night.
Contact GP or out-of-hours service if their condition
worsens.
 Need Doctor
 There's no medicine that can kill the virus that
causes bronchiolitis.

9.  To avoid the infection spreading to other children,
take child out of nursery or day care and keep them
at home until their symptoms have improved.
The following advice may make child more comfortable while
they recover.
 Keep child upright
 Drink plenty of fluids
 Keep the air moist
 Smoke-free environment
 Relieving a fever
 Saline nasal drops
Treatment in hospital
 Some children with bronchiolitis need to be admitted to
hospital. This is usually necessary if they aren't getting
enough oxygen into their blood because they're having
difficulty breathing, or if they aren't eating or drinking
enough.

10.  Children are more at risk of being admitted to hospital if
they were born prematurely or with an underlying health
problem.
Once in hospital, your child will be monitored and treated in a
number of ways, including:-
 Extra oxygen
 Feeding
 Nasal suction
 Leaving hospital


Reference:-
 Kapitan Pediatrics Book
 GHAI Essential Pediatrics (Eighth Edition)
 Health line ( https://www.healthline.com )
 WebMd ( https://www.webmd.com )
 Mayo Clinic ( https://www.mayclinic.org )
 My Self