HEALTH with ABALA

Chronic bronchitis is a prolonged manifestation occurring from inflammation of bronchi, which results to excessive production of mucous hindering the airflow into the respiratory system. To be labeled chronic bronchitis certain stringent rules have to be adhered to. They are:

-For two years in a row cough with expectoration for minimum of a time frame exceeding three months.

-Different lung pathologies must have been carefully examined.

The most common problem that a person suffers 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 susceptibility of the same. In the initial stages of the condition, the patient suffers from severe cough in early hours of the day, but as the pathology of the condition changes chronic the patient suffers from continued bouts of cough with expectoration of mucus. This phenomenon commonly is known as smokers cough.

In the early periods of the condition the broader bronchi are affected, but finally even the smaller bronchi are affected. As the disease reaches this stage the sufferer's VP ratio (ventilation perfusion ratio) balance is disturbed i.e the balance between the air breathed in and air breathed out. The results of this deviated VP ratio lead to numerous troubles like less amount of mixed oxygen in blood or hypoxemia leading to further complications like heavy breathing which if not checked finally leads to cor pulmonale.

As compared to acute bronchitis chronic bronchitis as the name points towards is a grave condition, the patients suffering from acute bronchitis responds well to antihistamines and antibiotics but the same cannot be said chronic bronchitis because of enhanced chances 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 they feel better.

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

Chronic bronchitis is a complex condition often occurring in tandem with other respiratory ailments like emphysema and asthma. And in later 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 whole skin has a bluish discoloration 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 towards alleviation of presenting symptoms.