Chronic Bronchitis
What is chronic bronchitis?
What causes chronic bronchitis?
What is chronic bronchitis ?
Bronchitis is the inflammation of lining of the airways (or bronchi). When this lasts only a short time it is called acute bronchitis. When it has become persistent it is called chronic bronchitis.
What causes chronic bronchitis ?
Acute bronchitis is often a result of infection. Those suffering with chronic bronchitis may be more vulnerable to spells of acute bronchitis, especially during the winter.
Pollutants such as cigarette smoke and a range of dusts and fumes from the environment and industry can cause damage to the cells that waft mucus up the airways to the back of the throat.
Please see “What causes COPD?”
When this happens the material that would be flushed out with the mucus is retained in the airways.
We try to shift this by coughing it out. Hence a common symptom of chronic bronchitis is a productive (or mucus-loaded) cough.
If the muscles that line the airways contract the airways are narrowed, coughing is less effective at clearing dust and wheezing is caused. Wheezing is another common symptom of chronic bronchitis.
If the accumulated pollutant is not removed or, especially, if the exposure to it is continued for a long time, chronic obstructive airways disease (COAD) which is also often called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can develop. This is where the airways are narrowed so that the flow of air is reduced, often resulting in breathlessness and disability.
In the past the term COPD was not commonly used. As a result the term chronic bronchitis was often used to describe both chronic bronchitis and COPD.
Damage to the air sacs (alveoli) can result in them bursting. This damage can result from the retention of air because the airways are narrowed so that the air sacs become over-inflated. It may also result from direct damage to the air sacs caused by the body’s attempt to destroy and dispose of the retained pollutant.
When this damage to the air sacs occurs, it is known as emphysema.
