Understanding Bronchitis and the Possible Consequences

According to a study conducted by Centers for Disease Control & Prevention in 2012 on non-institutionalized adults (source: www.cdc.gov)

• People diagnosed with chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in 2011: Number - 6.8 million and percentage: 2.9%
• People diagnosed with chronic bronchitis in 2011: Number - 8.7 million and percentage: 3.7%
• People diagnosed with emphysema: Number - 4.1 million and percentage: 1.7%

If you thought these facts and statistics are alarming, well sadly and unfortunately, there is more to this than meets the eye:

A number of Americans are dying every year from the ailments mentioned above. According to the same study:

• Number of bronchitis (chronic and unspecified) deaths: 619
• Bronchitis (chronic and unspecified) deaths per 100,000 population: 0.2
• Number of emphysema deaths: 9,352
• Emphysema deaths per 100,000 people: 3.0
• Number of deaths from other chronic lower respiratory diseases (excluding asthma): 129,627
• Other chronic lower respiratory diseases (excluding asthma) deaths per 100,000 population: 41.6

All these statistics go to show that in a country where AIDS, Cancer, Diabetes and Obesity are perennially on everybody’s radar, there are a whole lot of other diseases which are equally fatal but do not get the same attention.

Onset of Bronchitis – how the process begins?

Our lungs are filled with millions of tiny passages called bronchia which are filled with the air that we inhale or exhale. These bronchial passages are lined with mucous membranes which in turn, are lined with billions of hair-like particles called cilia. The cilia act as filters, trapping dust and chemicals that are found in the air we inhale and when we exhale, these cilia throw out the trapped toxic substances. During an attack of Bronchitis, the mucous membranes swell up or get inflamed, making the mucous membranes thicker. This constricts the bronchial passages making it difficult for the patient to breathe. The body then reacts by coughing vigorously in order to force the passages to relax and resume normal breathing.

Bronchitis comes in two forms: acute, when the condition lasts for up to 3 weeks and chronic when it lasts for up to 3 months or more. Then there is also asthmatic bronchitis, where patients with asthma, develop inflammation of the bronchial tubes.

Causes for Acute or Chronic Bronchitis to occur

• The causes for acute bronchitis can vary from person to person depending on personal habits, age, and the surrounding environment. Normally, acute bronchitis is caused by lung infections which are again caused by viruses, and in rare cases by bacteria. When an attack of acute bronchitis happen frequently, the patient’s bronchial passages get weakened with time, resulting in chronic bronchitis.
• Breathing in industrial pollutants found in the air, is found to be the leading cause of chronic bronchitis, among quarry workers, coal miners, agricultural food processing workers, steel mill workers who are exposed to metal dust, and others who are constantly exposed to noxious fumes such as chemical factory workers.
• However, and sadly, long-term cigarette smoking is found to be a huge contributor to chronic bronchitis. Smoke and the chemicals in tobacco that are inhaled irritate the bronchial tubes which causes them to produce excess mucus. The cigarette smoke also destroys the cilia making the lungs inefficient in throwing out toxic substances from the air that is inhaled.

The treatment for all forms of bronchitis comprises of prompt diagnosis, especially when a patient has a cough that lasts longer than usual; and needs long-term treatment. Quitting smoking is equally important for success of any course of treatment.

Meridian Medical is a reputed healthcare provider in the Bay Area. We have been helping thousands of patients detect bronchitis in time, and have been helping cure it, efficiently and cost effectively.