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What is Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema ?



One of the first things you should know is what COPD stands for. COPD or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is a lung disease that makes breathing a difficult affair. The disease progresses over time with lung damage where you are at an increased risk if you are a smoker and COPD treatment often involves oxygen therapy. It’s often a mix of two diseases, COPD will show symptoms and signs of Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema.

Chronic Bronchitis


What Is Chronic Bronchitis?
Bronchitis is an inflammation of the lining of the bronchial tubes. These are the tubes that carry air to and from your lungs. People who have bronchitis often have a persistent cough that brings up thickened, discoloured mucus. They may also experience wheezing, chest pain, and shortness of breath.

Bronchitis may be either acute or chronic. Acute bronchitis develops from a cold or other respiratory infection and often improves within a few days without lasting effects. Chronic bronchitis is a more serious condition that develops over time rather than striking suddenly. It’s characterized by recurrent episodes of bronchitis that last for several months or years. The constant inflammation in the lining of the bronchial tubes causes excessive amounts of sticky mucus to build up in the airways. This restricts the amount of airflow going into and out of the lungs. The blockage in airflow gets worse over time, resulting in breathing difficulties and increased mucus production in the lungs.

Many people who have chronic bronchitis eventually develop emphysema, which is a type of lung disease. Together, the two conditions are referred to as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD. According to the American Lung Association, more than 11 million people in the United States have COPD. However, there are many more people who don’t even know they have it.

The majority of COPD symptoms take a while to develop, so people often mistakenly believe that the condition isn’t life-threatening and ignore the symptoms until the condition has progressed to a more advanced stage. Although the condition can’t be cured, the symptoms can be managed with treatment once a diagnosis is made.

What Are the Symptoms of Chronic Bronchitis?
After a long period of inflammation and irritation in the bronchial tubes, chronic bronchitis can result in several hallmark symptoms, including a persistent, heavy cough that brings up mucus from the lungs. The mucus may be yellow, green, or white.

As time passes, the amount of mucus gradually increases due to the increased production of mucus in the lungs. The mucus eventually builds up in the bronchial tubes and restricts airflow, causing breathing to become increasingly difficult. This shortness of breath may be accompanied by wheezing that gets worse during any type of physical activity.

Other symptoms of chronic bronchitis may include:
  • fatigue
  • a fever
  • chills
  • chest discomfort
  • sinus congestion
  • bad breath
In the later stages of chronic bronchitis, the skin and lips may develop a bluish color due to a lack of oxygen in the bloodstream. Decreased levels of oxygen in the blood can also lead to peripheral edema or swelling in the legs and ankles.

As chronic bronchitis progresses, the symptoms can also vary in severity and frequency. For example, a cough may disappear temporarily, only to be followed by a period of more intense coughing. More severe episodes may be triggered by various factors, including:
  • respiratory tract infections, such as the cold or flu
  • infections elsewhere in the body
  • exposure to environmental irritants, such as air pollution or dust
  • heart conditions
What Causes Chronic Bronchitis?
Chronic bronchitis occurs when the lining of the bronchial tubes repeatedly becomes irritated and inflamed. The continuous irritation and swelling can damage the airways and cause a buildup of sticky mucus, making it difficult for air to move through the lungs. This leads to breathing difficulties that gradually get worse. The inflammation can also damage the cilia, which are the hair-like structures that help to keep the air passages free of germs and other irritants. When the cilia don’t work properly, the airways often become a breeding ground for bacterial and viral infections.

Infections typically trigger the initial irritation and swelling that lead to acute bronchitis. Chronic bronchitis, however, is most commonly caused by cigarette smoking. In fact, over 90 percent of those with the disease have a history of smoking. Inhaling cigarette smoke temporarily paralyzes the cilia, so frequent smoking over an extended period can severely damage the cilia. Chronic bronchitis may develop over time due to this damage.

Secondhand smoke can also contribute to the development of chronic bronchitis. Other possible causes include extended exposure to air pollution, industrial or chemical fumes, and toxic gases. Repeated lung infections may also cause further damage to the lungs and make chronic bronchitis symptoms worse.

Emphysema
Emphysema is a lung condition that causes shortness of breath. In people with emphysema, the air sacs in the lungs (alveoli) are damaged. Over time, the inner walls of the air sacs weaken and rupture — creating larger air spaces instead of many small ones. This reduces the surface area of the lungs and, in turn, the amount of oxygen that reaches your bloodstream.

When you exhale, the damaged alveoli don't work properly and the old air becomes trapped, leaving no room for fresh, oxygen-rich air to enter.

Most people with emphysema also have chronic bronchitis. Chronic bronchitis is inflammation of the tubes that carry air to your lungs (bronchial tubes), which leads to a persistent cough.

Emphysema and chronic bronchitis are two conditions that make up chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Smoking is the leading cause of COPD. Treatment may slow the progression of COPD, but it can't reverse the damage.

Symptoms
You can have emphysema for many years without noticing any signs or symptoms. The main symptom of emphysema is shortness of breath, which usually begins gradually.

You may start avoiding activities that cause you to be short of breath, so the symptom doesn't become a problem until it starts interfering with daily tasks. Emphysema eventually causes shortness of breath even while you're at rest.

Causes
The main cause of emphysema is long-term exposure to airborne irritants, including:
  • Tobacco smoke
  • Marijuana smoke
  • Air pollution
  • Chemical fumes and dust
Rarely, emphysema is caused by an inherited deficiency of a protein that protects the elastic structures in the lungs. It's called alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency emphysema.

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Comments

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