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What Exactly is Chronic Bronchitis Home

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Chronic bronchitis is a prolonged problem occurring as a result of swelling of bronchi, which leads to increased production of mucous hindering the airflow into the respiratory system. To be classified chronic bronchitis certain fixed criteria have to be adhered to these are:

-For two years consecutively cough with expectoration for at least of a period exceeding three months.

-Different lung pathologies must have been carefully examined.

The most common problem that a person is affected with is the shortness of breath so much so that it affects activities of daily living.

One of the major factors leading to chronic bronchitis is smoking, and smokers have a high incidence of the same. In the early stages of the disease, the patient suffers from morning cough, but as the pathology of the disease manifests chronic is afflicted with prolonged bouts of cough with expectoration of mucus. This occurrence commonly] is known as smokers cough.

In the initial stages of the disease the larger bronchi are affected, but in time even the smaller bronchi are affected. As the chronic bronchitis reaches this stage the patient's VP ratio (ventilation perfusion ratio) balance is disturbed i.e the ratio between inspiration and air breathed out. The results of this abnormal VP ratio lead to various conditions like insufficient concentration of mixed oxygen in blood or hypoxemia leading to further complications like heavy breathing which if not corrected eventually leads to cor pulmonale.

When compared to acute bronchitis chronic bronchitis as the name suggests is a grave condition, the patients suffering from acute bronchitis cured by antihistamines and antibiotics but the same cannot be said chronic bronchitis because of enhanced susceptibility of reoccurring bacterial and fungal infections.

Hence the patients suffering from chronic bronchitis are advised to take care of themselves and inform about the minutest of difficulties and get admitted into the intensive care units of hospitals till the condition improves.

As the disease progresses there is decreased ciliary motility therefore the difficulty in coughing out the mucous, this coupled with swelling of bronchi leads to decreased protection against air borne and droplet germs.

Chronic bronchitis is a complex disease often occurring in tandem with other respiratory ailments like emphysema and asthma. And in advanced stages of chronic bronchitis coupled with emphysema there is an overall reduction in the dead space volume and the condition may lead to blue bloaters in which the overall skin has a bluish tinge or cyanosis for want of oxygen.

Chronic bronchitis as a respiratory condition grows slowly but unfortunately it has no cure and the only treatments are directed in direction of relieving of presenting symptoms.

To grab a copy of Amy's Free Chronic Bronchitis eBook, and read more articles related to The Definition of Chronic Bronchitis, please click here to visit her chronic bronchitis website.

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