Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Other signs of bronchitis .

Do you have a persisting wet cough and aren’t sure what kind of problem you are experiencing? Well, let’s talk a little bit about the signs of bronchitis to see if that is why you have that nasty cough.
Bronchitis is basically an inflammation of the bronchial tubes. Most times, bronchitis comes on after a cold, sore throat, or influenza.

If you live in an area where there is a cold climate that can sometimes produce the beginnings of bronchitis. In most cases the cause is related to a virus, but other irritants such as pollution, pollen, or smoke can be the triggers.

Symptoms of bronchitis normally last for a couple of weeks. If you have a chronic form of bronchitis, the effects can last for a lot longer and will need special medical treatment.

In healthy lungs, there are hair-like organisms that push out irritants like dust, pollen, smoke, etc. But when there is an infection, producing too much mucous, these little hair-like organisms, called cilia, have a more difficult time working properly.

When this happens, you get an accumulation of mucous in the bronchial tubes. And consequently, there is a cough that tries to get rid of it. This is one of the most common signs of bronchitis, a mucousy cough.

Other signs of bronchitis include wheezing and difficulty breathing. Wheezing happens when the circular muscles in the bronchial tubes contract, called bronchospasm.

This makes your cough less productive, keeping that nasty mucous inside your bronchial tubes. You can also experience pain or soreness in your chest or upper abdominal region.

Normally, bronchitis goes away on its own if it is caused by a virus. However, when you get a bout that won’t go away and doesn’t respond to treatment, it can progress to a chronic obstructive airway disease.

This can affect the amount of oxygen your body receives for proper maintenance. This can affect the color of your skin and more importantly your heart.

If you are experiencing any signs of bronchitis, don’t wait too long to see your doctor if you condition worsens or just won’t go away in a couple of weeks.

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