Bronchitis | |
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Figure A shows the location of the lungs and bronchial tubes. Figure B is an enlarged view of a normal bronchial tube. Figure C is an enlarged view of a bronchial tube with bronchitis. | |
Pronunciation | |
Specialty | Infectious disease, pulmonology |
Symptoms | Coughing up mucus, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest discomfort [1] |
Types | Acute, chronic [1] |
Frequency | Acute: ~5% of people a year [2] [3] Chronic: ~5% of people [3] |
Bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchi (large and medium-sized airways) in the lungs that causes coughing. Bronchitis usually begins as an infection in the nose, ears, throat, or sinuses. The infection then makes its way down to the bronchi. Symptoms include coughing up sputum, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest pain. Bronchitis can be acute or chronic. [1]
Acute bronchitis usually has a cough that lasts around three weeks, [4] and is also known as a chest cold. [5] In more than 90% of cases, the cause is a viral infection. [4] These viruses may be spread through the air when people cough or by direct contact. [6] A small number of cases are caused by a bacterial infection such as Mycoplasma pneumoniae or Bordetella pertussis . [4] Risk factors include exposure to tobacco smoke, dust, and other air pollution. [6] Treatment of acute bronchitis typically involves rest, paracetamol (acetaminophen), and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to help with the fever. [7] [8]
Chronic bronchitis is defined as a productive cough – one that produces sputum – that lasts for three months or more per year for at least two years. [9] [10] Many people with chronic bronchitis also have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). [11] Tobacco smoking is the most common cause, with a number of other factors such as air pollution and genetics playing a smaller role. [12] Treatments include quitting smoking, vaccinations, rehabilitation, and often inhaled bronchodilators and steroids. [13] Some people may benefit from long-term oxygen therapy. [13]
Acute bronchitis is one of the more common diseases. [7] [14] About 5% of adults and 6% of children have at least one episode a year. [2] [15] Acute bronchitis is the most common type of bronchitis. [16] By contrast in the United States, in 2018, 9.3 million people were diagnosed with the less common chronic bronchitis. [17] [18]
Acute bronchitis, also known as a chest cold, is short term inflammation of the bronchi of the lungs. [4] [6] The most common symptom is a cough, that may or may not produce sputum. [4] [19] Other symptoms may include coughing up mucus, wheezing, shortness of breath, fever, and chest discomfort. [6] Fever when present is mild. [20] The infection may last from a few to ten days. [6] The cough may persist for several weeks afterwards, with the total duration of symptoms usually around three weeks. [4] [6] Symptoms may last for up to six weeks. [7]
In more than 90% of cases, the cause is a viral infection. [4] These viruses may spread through the air when people cough or by direct contact. [6] Risk factors include exposure to tobacco smoke, dust, and other air pollutants. [6] A small number of cases are due to bacteria such as Mycoplasma pneumoniae or Bordetella pertussis . [4]
Diagnosis is typically based on a person's signs and symptoms. [20] The color of the sputum does not indicate if the infection is viral or bacterial. [4] Determining the underlying organism is usually not required. [4] Other causes of similar symptoms include asthma, pneumonia, bronchiolitis, bronchiectasis, and COPD. [2] [4] A chest X-ray may be useful to detect pneumonia. [4]
Another common sign of bronchitis is a cough which lasts ten days to three weeks. If the cough lasts for longer than a month, it may become chronic bronchitis. In addition, a fever may be present. Acute bronchitis is normally caused by a viral infection. Typically, these infections are rhinovirus, adenovirus, parainfluenza, or influenza. No specific testing is normally needed in order to diagnose acute bronchitis. [20]
One form of prevention is to avoid smoking and other lung irritants. [21] Frequent hand washing may also be protective. [21] Treatment for acute bronchitis usually involves rest, paracetamol (acetaminophen), and NSAIDs to help with the fever. [7] [8] Cough medicine has little support for its use, and is not recommended in children under the age of six. [4] [22] There is tentative evidence that salbutamol may be useful in treating wheezing; however, it may result in nervousness and tremors. [4] [23] Antibiotics should generally not be used. [19] An exception is when acute bronchitis is due to pertussis. [4] Tentative evidence supports honey and pelargonium to help with symptoms. [4] Getting plenty of rest and drinking enough fluids are often recommended as well. [24] Chinese medicinal herbs are of unclear effect. [25]
Acute bronchitis is one of the most common diseases [7] [14] and the most common type of bronchitis. [5] About 5% of adults are affected, and about 6% of children have at least one episode a year. [2] [15] It occurs more often in the winter. [2] More than 10 million people in the US visit a doctor each year for this condition, with about 70% receiving antibiotics which are mostly not needed. [7] There are efforts to decrease the use of antibiotics in acute bronchitis. [14]
Chronic bronchitis is a lower respiratory tract disease, [26] defined by a productive cough that lasts for three months or more per year for at least two years. [1] [10] The cough is sometimes referred to as a smoker's cough since it often results from smoking. When chronic bronchitis occurs together with decreased airflow it is known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). [27] [26] Many people with chronic bronchitis have COPD, however most people with COPD do not also have chronic bronchitis. [10] [28] Estimates of the number of people with COPD who have chronic bronchitis are 7 to 40%. [29] [30] Estimates of the number of people who smoke and have chronic bronchitis who also have COPD is 60%. [31]
The term "chronic bronchitis" was used in previous definitions of COPD but is no longer included in the definition. [10] [32] [33] The term is still used clinically. [34] While both chronic bronchitis and emphysema are often associated with COPD, neither is needed to make the diagnosis. [34] A Chinese consensus commented on symptomatic types of COPD that include chronic bronchitis with frequent exacerbations. [35]
Chronic bronchitis is marked by mucus hypersecretion and mucins. [9] [36] The excess mucus is produced by an increased number of goblet cells, and enlarged submucosal glands in response to long-term irritation. [37] The mucous glands in the submucosa secrete more than the goblet cells. [38] Mucins thicken mucus, and their concentration has been found to be high in cases of chronic bronchitis, and also to correlate with the severity of the disease. [39] Excess mucus can narrow the airways, thereby limiting airflow and accelerating the decline in lung function, and result in COPD. [35] [40] Excess mucus shows itself as a chronic productive cough and its severity and volume of sputum can fluctuate in periods of acute exacerbations. [35] In COPD, those with the chronic bronchitic phenotype with associated chronic excess mucus, experience a worse quality of life than those without. [35] [41]
The increased secretions are initially cleared by coughing. [36] The cough is often worse soon after awakening, and the sputum produced may have a yellow or green color and may be streaked with specks of blood. [42] In the early stages, a cough can maintain mucus clearance. However, with continued excessive secretion mucus clearance is impaired, and when the airways become obstructed a cough becomes ineffective. [43] Effective mucociliary clearance depends on airway hydration, ciliary beating, and the rates of mucin secretion. Each of these factors is impaired in chronic bronchitis. [44] Chronic bronchitis can lead to a higher number of exacerbations and a faster decline in lung function. [40] [45] The ICD-11 lists chronic bronchitis with emphysema (emphysematous bronchitis) as a "certain specified COPD". [46] [47]
Most cases of chronic bronchitis are caused by tobacco smoking. [48] [49] Chronic bronchitis in young adults who smoke is associated with a greater chance of developing COPD. [50] There is an association between smoking cannabis and chronic bronchitis. [51] [52] In addition, chronic inhalation of air pollution, or irritating fumes or dust from hazardous exposures in occupations such as coal mining, grain handling, textile manufacturing, livestock farming, [53] and metal moulding may also be a risk factor for the development of chronic bronchitis. [54] [55] [56] Bronchitis caused in this way is often referred to as industrial bronchitis, or occupational bronchitis. [57] Rarely genetic factors also play a role. [58]
Air quality can also affect the respiratory system with higher levels of nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide contributing to bronchial symptoms. Sulfur dioxide can cause inflammation which can aggravate chronic bronchitis and make infections more likely. [59]
Air pollution in the workplace is the cause of several non-communicable diseases (NCDs) including chronic bronchitis. [60]
Decline in lung function in chronic bronchitis may be slowed by stopping smoking. [61] [62] Chronic bronchitis may be treated with a number of medications and occasionally oxygen therapy. [1] Pulmonary rehabilitation may also be used. [1]
A distinction has been made between exacerbations (sudden worsenings) of chronic bronchitis, and otherwise stable chronic bronchitis. Stable chronic bronchitis can be defined as the normal definition of chronic bronchitis, plus the absence of an acute exacerbation in the previous four weeks. [45] A Cochrane review found that mucolytics in chronic bronchitis may slightly decrease the chance of developing an exacerbation. [63] The mucolytic guaifenesin is a safe and effective treatment for stable chronic bronchitis. This has an advantage in that it is available as an extended use tablet which lasts for twelve hours. [64] Erdosteine is a mucolytic recommended by NICE. [65] GOLD also supports the use of some mucolytics that are advised against when inhaled corticosteroids are being used, and singles out erdosteine as having good effects regardless of corticosteroid use. Erdosteine also has antioxidant properties. Erdosteine has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of exacerbations, shorten their duration, and hospital stays. [66] In those with the chronic bronchitic phenotype of COPD, the phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor roflumilast may decrease significant exacerbations. [37]
Chronic bronchitis affects about 3.4% to 22% of the general population. [67] Individuals over 45 years of age, smokers, those that live or work in areas with high air pollution, and anybody with asthma all have a higher risk of developing chronic bronchitis. [68] This wide range is due to the different definitions of chronic bronchitis that can be diagnosed based on signs and symptoms or the clinical diagnosis of the disorder. Chronic bronchitis tends to affect men more often than women. While the primary risk factor for chronic bronchitis is smoking, there is still a 4%-22% chance that non smokers can get chronic bronchitis. This might suggest other risk factors such as the inhalation of fuels, dusts, fumes and genetic factor. [40] In the United States, in 2016, 8.6 million people were diagnosed with chronic bronchitis, and there were 518 reported deaths. Per 100,000 of population the death rate of chronic bronchitis was 0.2. [17]
The condition of bronchitis has been recognised for many centuries, in several different cultures including the Ancient Greek, Chinese, and Indian, with the presence of excess phlegm and cough noted in recognition of the same condition. Early treatments of chronic bronchitis included garlic, cinnamon and ipecac, among others. [69] Modern treatments were developed during the second half of the 20th century. [70]
The British physician Charles Badham was the first person to describe the condition and name the acute form as acute bronchitis in his book Observations on the inflammatory affections of the mucous membrane of the bronchiæ, published in 1808. In this book, Badham distinguished three forms of bronchitis, including acute and chronic. A second, expanded edition of the book was published in 1814 with the title An essay on bronchitis. [69] Badham used the term catarrh to refer to the cardinal symptoms of chronic cough and mucus hypersecretion of chronic bronchitis, and described chronic bronchitis as a disabling disorder. [71]
In 1901 an article was published on the treatment of chronic bronchitis in the elderly. The symptoms described have remained unchanged. The cause was thought to be brought on by dampness, cold weather, and foggy conditions, and treatments were aimed towards various cough mixtures, respiratory stimulants, and tonics. It was noted that something other than the weather was thought to be at play. [72] Exacerbations of the condition were also described at this time. Another physician Harry Campbell was referred to who had written in the British Medical Journal a week before. Campbell had suggested that the cause of chronic bronchitis was due to toxic substances, and recommended pure air, simple food, and exercise to remove them from the body. [72]
A joint research programme was undertaken in Chicago and London from 1951 to 1953 in which the clinical features of one thousand cases of chronic bronchitis were detailed. The findings were published in the Lancet in 1953. [73] It was stated that since its introduction by Badham, chronic bronchitis had become an increasingly popular diagnosis. The study had looked at various associations such as the weather, conditions at home, and at work, age of onset, childhood illnesses, smoking habits, and breathlessness. It was concluded that chronic bronchitis invariably led to emphysema, particularly when the bronchitis had persisted for a long time. [73]
In 1957 it was noted that at the time there were many investigations being carried out into chronic bronchitis and emphysema in general, and among industrial workers exposed to dust. [74] Excerpts were published dating from 1864 in which Charles Parsons had noted the occurring consequence of the development of emphysema from bronchitis. This was seen to be not always applicable. His findings were in association with his studies on chronic bronchitis among pottery workers. [74]
A CIBA (now Novartis) meeting in 1959, and a meeting of the American Thoracic Society in 1962, defined chronic bronchitis as a component of COPD, in the terms that have not changed. [71] [75]
Eosinophilic bronchitis is a chronic dry cough, defined by the presence of an increased number of a type of white blood cell known as eosinophils. It has a normal finding on X-ray and has no airflow limitation. [76]
Protracted bacterial bronchitis in children, is defined as a chronic productive cough with a positive bronchoalveolar lavage that resolves with antibiotics. [77] [78] Protracted bacterial bronchitis is usually caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae , non-typable Haemophilus influenzae , or Moraxella catarrhalis . [78] Protracted bacterial bronchitis (lasting more than 4 weeks) in children may be helped by antibiotics. [79]
Plastic bronchitis is a rarely found condition in which thickened secretions plug the bronchi. [81] [82] The plugs are rubbery or plastic-feeling (thus the name). The light-colored plugs take the branching shape of the bronchi that they fill, and are known as bronchial casts. [81] When these casts are coughed up, they are firmer in texture from typical phlegm or the short, softer mucus plugs seen in some people with asthma. [81] However, some people with asthma have larger, firmer, and more complex plugs. These differ from the casts seen in people whose plastic bronchitis is associated with congenital heart disease or lymphatic vessel abnormalities mainly because eosinophils and Charcot–Leyden crystals are present in the asthma-associated casts but not in the others. [81]
Casts obstruct the airflow, and can result in the overinflation of the opposite lung. Plastic bronchitis usually occurs in children. Some cases may result from abnormalities in the lymphatic vessels. Advanced cases may show imaging similarities to bronchiectasis. [82]
Aspergillus bronchitis is one of the Aspergillosis spectrum of diseases, in which the bronchi are specifically subject to a fungal infection. This differs from the other pulmonary aspergillosis conditions, in that it need not affect just the immunocompromised. [83] [84]
A cough is a sudden expulsion of air through the large breathing passages which can help clear them of fluids, irritants, foreign particles and microbes. As a protective reflex, coughing can be repetitive with the cough reflex following three phases: an inhalation, a forced exhalation against a closed glottis, and a violent release of air from the lungs following opening of the glottis, usually accompanied by a distinctive sound.
Shortness of breath (SOB), known as dyspnea or dyspnoea, is an uncomfortable feeling of not being able to breathe well enough. The American Thoracic Society defines it as "a subjective experience of breathing discomfort that consists of qualitatively distinct sensations that vary in intensity", and recommends evaluating dyspnea by assessing the intensity of its distinct sensations, the degree of distress and discomfort involved, and its burden or impact on the patient's activities of daily living. Distinct sensations include effort/work to breathe, chest tightness or pain, and "air hunger". The tripod position is often assumed to be a sign.
Hemoptysis or haemoptysis is the discharge of blood or blood-stained mucus through the mouth coming from the bronchi, larynx, trachea, or lungs. It does not necessarily involve coughing. In other words, it is the airway bleeding. This can occur with lung cancer, infections such as tuberculosis, bronchitis, or pneumonia, and certain cardiovascular conditions. Hemoptysis is considered massive at 300 mL. In such cases, there are always severe injuries. The primary danger comes from choking, rather than blood loss.
Sputum is mucus that is coughed up from the lower airways. In medicine, sputum samples are usually used for a naked eye examination, microbiological investigation of respiratory infections and cytological investigations of respiratory systems. It is crucial that the specimen does not include any mucoid material from the nose or oral cavity.
The respiratory tract is the subdivision of the respiratory system involved with the process of conducting air to the alveoli for the purposes of gas exchange in mammals. The respiratory tract is lined with respiratory epithelium as respiratory mucosa.
Acute bronchitis, also known as a chest cold, is short-term bronchitis – inflammation of the bronchi of the lungs. The most common symptom is a cough. Other symptoms include coughing up mucus, wheezing, shortness of breath, fever, and chest discomfort. The infection may last from a few to ten days. The cough may persist for several weeks afterward with the total duration of symptoms usually around three weeks. Some have symptoms for up to six weeks.
Phlegm is mucus produced by the respiratory system, excluding that produced by the throat nasal passages. It often refers to respiratory mucus expelled by coughing, otherwise known as sputum. Phlegm, and mucus as a whole, is in essence a water-based gel consisting of glycoproteins, immunoglobulins, lipids and other substances. Its composition varies depending on climate, genetics, and state of the immune system. Its color can vary from transparent to pale or dark yellow and green, from light to dark brown, and even to dark grey depending on the contents. The body naturally produces about 1 quart of phlegm every day to capture and clear substances in the air and bacteria from the nose and throat.
Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency is a genetic disorder that may result in lung disease or liver disease. Onset of lung problems is typically between 20 and 50 years of age. This may result in shortness of breath, wheezing, or an increased risk of lung infections. Complications may include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cirrhosis, neonatal jaundice, or panniculitis.
Bronchoconstriction is the constriction of the airways in the lungs due to the tightening of surrounding smooth muscle, with consequent coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath.
Tracheobronchitis is inflammation of the trachea and bronchi. It is characterised by a cough, fever, and purulent sputum and is therefore suggestive of pneumonia. It is classified as a respiratory tract infection.
Respiratory diseases, or lung diseases, are pathological conditions affecting the organs and tissues that make gas exchange difficult in air-breathing animals. They include conditions of the respiratory tract including the trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli, pleurae, pleural cavity, the nerves and muscles of respiration. Respiratory diseases range from mild and self-limiting, such as the common cold, influenza, and pharyngitis to life-threatening diseases such as bacterial pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, tuberculosis, acute asthma, lung cancer, and severe acute respiratory syndromes, such as COVID-19. Respiratory diseases can be classified in many different ways, including by the organ or tissue involved, by the type and pattern of associated signs and symptoms, or by the cause of the disease.
Erdosteine is a molecule with mucolytic activity. Structurally it is a thiol derivative characterized by the presence of two thiol groups. These two functional sulfhydryl groups contained in the molecule are released following first-pass metabolism with the conversion of erdosteine into its pharmacologically active metabolite Met-I.
Obstructive lung disease is a category of respiratory disease characterized by airway obstruction. Many obstructive diseases of the lung result from narrowing (obstruction) of the smaller bronchi and larger bronchioles, often because of excessive contraction of the smooth muscle itself. It is generally characterized by inflamed and easily collapsible airways, obstruction to airflow, problems exhaling, and frequent medical clinic visits and hospitalizations. Types of obstructive lung disease include asthma, bronchiectasis, bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Although COPD shares similar characteristics with all other obstructive lung diseases, such as the signs of coughing and wheezing, they are distinct conditions in terms of disease onset, frequency of symptoms, and reversibility of airway obstruction. Cystic fibrosis is also sometimes included in obstructive pulmonary disease.
Diffuse panbronchiolitis (DPB) is an inflammatory lung disease of unknown cause. It is a severe, progressive form of bronchiolitis, an inflammatory condition of the bronchioles. The term diffuse signifies that lesions appear throughout both lungs, while panbronchiolitis refers to inflammation found in all layers of the respiratory bronchioles. DPB causes severe inflammation and nodule-like lesions of terminal bronchioles, chronic sinusitis, and intense coughing with large amounts of sputum production.
An acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis (AECB), is a sudden worsening of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) symptoms including shortness of breath, quantity and color of phlegm that typically lasts for several days.
ELOM-080 is the active ingredient of the herbal medicine named GeloMyrtol forte. The acronym ELOM stands for the oils from Eucalyptus, Lemon, (Sweet) Orange and Myrtle that it contains.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a type of progressive lung disease characterized by long-term respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation. GOLD 2024 defined COPD as a heterogeneous lung condition characterized by chronic respiratory symptoms due to abnormalities of the airways and/or alveoli (emphysema) that cause persistent, often progressive, airflow obstruction.
Emphysema is any air-filled enlargement in the body's tissues. Most commonly emphysema refers to the enlargement of air spaces (alveoli) in the lungs, and is also known as pulmonary emphysema.
In clinical guidelines chronic cough is defined as a cough lasting more than 8 weeks in adults and more than 4 weeks in children. The prevalence of chronic cough is about 10% although the prevalence may differ depending on definition and geographic area. Chronic cough is a common symptom in several different respiratory diseases like COPD or pulmonary fibrosis but in non-smokers with a normal chest x-ray chronic cough are often associated with asthma, rhinosinusitis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease or could be idiopathic Generally, a cough, for example after an upper respiratory tract infection, lasts around one to two weeks; however, chronic cough can persist for an extended period of time, often several years. People with chronic cough often experience more than one cause present. The current theory about the cause of chronic cough, independent of associated condition, is that it is caused by a hypersensitivity in the cough sensory nerves, called cough hypersensitivity syndrome. There are a number of treatments available, depending on the associated disease but the clinical management of the patients remains a challenge. Risk factors include exposure to cigarette smoke, and exposure to pollution, especially particulates.
Airway basal cells are found deep in the respiratory epithelium, attached to, and lining the basement membrane.
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: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)Chronic bronchitis becomes chronic obstructive bronchitis if spirometric evidence of airflow obstruction develops.
Chronic bronchitis ... is very often secondary to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
with CB by symptoms (18.9%), approximately 60% had COPD (i.e., had also airflow obstruction on spirometry)
The more familiar terms "chronic bronchitis" and "emphysema" have often been used as labels for the condition.
The more familiar terms 'chronic bronchitis' and 'emphysema' are no longer used, but are now included within the COPD diagnosis.