All About Bronchitis

What is bronchitis?

Bronchitis is a term that means inflammation of the trachea, the lining from the throat to the lungs and the intima of the bronchi The mucous membrane of the trachea, bronchi and lungs swells red due to inflammation. This increases mucus production and causes coughing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness. Depending on the severity of the symptoms, acute bronchitis or chronic bronchitis may be diagnosed.

What is acute bronchitis?

Acute bronchitis is seen in both children and adults. Children with acute bronchitis may first show signs of a cold, including runny nose, sore throat, and mild fever. A dry cough occurs after a few days and moisturizes in one or two days. There is also a slight wheezing. Acute bronchitis in children may not require treatment and usually heals spontaneously in 10 days to several weeks. Adults may experience similar symptoms during cough, body pain, and chills, along with dark yellow or greenish mucus and pain.

What is chronic bronchitis?

Chronic bronchitis, unlike acute bronchitis, is a condition in which bronchitis lasts for a long time, often months or even years. Symptoms such as cough and mucus production recur every year and can last for a long time. Chronic bronchitis is not a natural cure, it is a serious respiratory disease that requires specialized medical procedures and care.

Another term used for acute bronchitis, infectious bronchitis is primarily inflammation of the respiratory tract. However, as it progresses to chronicity, the main change is that the swollen inner lining that bronchial inflammation begins to leak mucus into the lungs. Small hairs like lung protrusions called cilia that move mucus from the trachea are now unable to move excess mucus. As a result, mucus settles and worsens the infection.

Increased risk of smoking and bronchitis

In adults, smoking is the most common cause of chronic bronchitis. Children with colds and coughs who live around smokers are more likely to develop acute bronchitis. For smokers, transients of acute bronchitis are much more difficult to recover compared to healthy non-smokers. The chance of progression to chronic bronchitis is also very high. Chronic bronchitis causes the trachea and lung mucosa to become swollen and stimulated, and over time, cilia, the small structure of the lung that removes mucus, is permanently damaged. In addition, the constant presence of mucus in the lungs can cause scarring, distortion, and irreversible damage to the lung airways.

Long-term untreated chronic bronchitis can become serious in smokers and the elderly, leading to other illnesses such as COPD [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease] and emphysema. People with chronic diseases of heart or lung disease are also vulnerable to other viral and bacterial infections.

Other causes of bronchitis

Nearly 90% of cases of acute bronchitis are caused by viral infections, but only 10% are caused by bacterial infections. Chronic bronchitis is usually caused by prolonged inhalation of irritants such as cigarette smoke or chemical pollutants. People who live or work in a contaminated environment and are exposed to chemical pollutants such as miners are more likely to develop both forms of bronchitis.