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Bronchitis
Do bronchitis cough?
Bronchitis, a disease commonly seen in clinical settings, often causes symptoms of coughing, and some cases may present with paroxysmal spasmodic coughs. Some patients may also experience increased phlegm, leading to symptoms like spitting phlegm, difficulty breathing, sore throat, and chest pain as complications. Generally, a physical examination is needed, along with a chest X-ray, complete blood count, C-reactive protein, and other auxiliary tests for diagnosis. It is timely to choose the appropriate antimicrobial medication and cough suppressant and expectorant drugs for symptomatic treatment.
Symptoms of bronchitis in children
The symptoms of bronchitis in children mainly present as symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection. At the onset of the disease, symptoms such as chills, cold fear, high fever along with a runny nose and sneezing will appear, followed by coughing, expectorating phlegm, chest pain, and difficulty breathing. Severe cases may show signs of flaring nostrils, rapid breathing, and the three concave sign. Some patients may also experience symptoms like high fever leading to coma, so it is important to promptly use sensitive antimicrobial drugs and anti-inflammatory treatments, while also managing the fever to prevent febrile convulsions. (Medications should be used under the guidance of a doctor based on the specific circumstances.)
How is bronchitis treated?
If the body suffers from bronchitis, how should it be treated? When the body has inflammation, the main principle is to choose antimicrobial drugs for anti-inflammatory treatment. Patients with mild symptoms can be treated with anti-inflammatory drugs either orally or by intramuscular injection. If oral medication alone does not produce clear effects, or if symptoms do not improve, a drug sensitivity test can be done. Based on the test results, administer a sensitive antibiotic intravenously. At the same time, it's also important to choose antipyretic analgesics to relieve fever symptoms, as well as medications that thin the mucus for symptomatic treatment.
How to treat chronic bronchitis?
How to treat chronic bronchitis, first of all we need to know that chronic bronchitis can be divided into two phases, one is the remission phase, the other is the acute exacerbation phase. Since most patients are in the remission phase most of the time, that is, their symptoms of cough and expectoration are relatively stable, more or less the same every day, with no significant change in the amount and nature of the sputum, no purulent sputum, no significant increase in sputum, and no fever or other symptoms of infection. In such cases, the first step in treating chronic bronchitis patients is to target some possible causes of their condition, such as smokers must quit smoking. Most chronic bronchitis patients experience some relief in cough and expectoration after quitting smoking. Furthermore, some patients' chronic bronchitis may be due to exposure to dust or irritant gases. It is crucial to avoid contact with these harmful gases as much as possible. In addition, patients in a stable condition should engage in physical exercise, enhance their physical fitness, and prevent colds. Some chronic bronchitis patients who frequently suffer from respiratory infections can consider using immunomodulators or some traditional Chinese medicine to regulate immunity and enhance resistance. Additionally, since chronic bronchitis can acutely exacerbate, which means the patient’s condition has changed, their cough and expectoration frequency may increase, the amount of sputum may increase, or there may be some purulent sputum, or fever and other symptoms. In such cases, the primary treatment may still be infection control, commonly using antimicrobial drugs, often referred to as anti-inflammatory drugs. The types of anti-inflammatory drugs are numerous, the most common ones include penicillin, erythromycin, levofloxacin, amoxicillin, and some cephalosporins. In such cases, it is necessary to choose medication under the guidance of a doctor. Additionally, in these situations where the patient’s cough and expectoration are worsened, and sputum increases, medications for cough suppression and expectoration, commonly known as expectorants and cough relievers, are also needed. There are some proprietary Chinese medicines, such as licorice preparations, and Western medicines such as bromhexine and ambroxol as well. Moreover, a very small portion of patients may experience wheezing, meaning some patients might also have symptoms like chest tightness and shortness of breath. In such cases, it would be necessary to use bronchodilators under the guidance of a doctor, such as theophylline or doxophylline, and these medications must be used under medical supervision.
The difference between acute bronchitis and bronchitis
What is the difference between acute bronchitis and bronchitis? Generally speaking, in terms of the duration of the disease, bronchitis can be classified into acute bronchitis and chronic bronchitis. Acute bronchitis is a type of bronchitis. It is often caused by infections, physical and chemical factors, allergies, etc. Patients may experience fever, cough, and expectoration, and the duration usually lasts 2 to 3 weeks. In the case of chronic bronchitis, the course of the disease is longer, with symptoms such as repeated coughing, expectoration, and wheezing, and the symptoms persist and do not improve.
Does bronchitis cause a fever?
Bronchitis, a condition that can cause symptoms of fever if it is acute inflammation. During the acute phase of inflammation, the pathogens in the body stimulate the body's temperature regulation center, leading to chills and fever. Clinically, there may also be an acute facial expression, accompanied by complications such as difficulty breathing and cyanosis of the lips. If it is chronic bronchitis, fever symptoms generally do not occur, with the main symptoms being cough, sputum production, and difficulty breathing. Diagnosis requires combination with laboratory test results, and treatment measures and plans should be taken according to the cause of the disease.
Chronic bronchitis symptoms
Chronic bronchitis is also known as "old chronic bronchitis." From the name, it can be inferred that its cough and expectoration last for a long time and its onset is slow, which can manifest as acute exacerbation. The main symptoms of chronic bronchitis are cough and expectoration, either with or without wheezing. The cough in chronic bronchitis usually occurs in the morning, meaning that the cough is more pronounced upon waking up. The sputum is generally white, sticky, mucoid, or frothy, and may occasionally contain streaks of blood but generally is not associated with coughing up blood. In addition to coughing and expectoration, a small number of patients may experience wheezing or shortness of breath. In cases where the wheezing is more pronounced, it is also referred to as asthmatic bronchitis.
Daily care for children's bronchitis
For children with bronchitis, it is essential to keep warm and avoid exposure to cold and wind, especially from cold air, which can reduce the local resistance of the bronchial mucosa and exacerbate the condition of bronchitis. It is also important to monitor the child's body temperature, maintaining it above 36.5 degrees Celsius, drink plenty of water, and promote metabolism to enhance the body's immunity. Additionally, attention should be paid to the diet, which should primarily consist of liquid or semi-liquid foods. It is also appropriate to drink some sugar water or light salt water. It is important to increase dietary nutrition by consuming light, fully nutritious, balanced, and easily digestible liquid or semi-liquid foods such as porridge, egg custard, soft noodles, fresh vegetables, and fruit juices. Furthermore, it is crucial to maintain the child's respiratory passages clear, focus on expectoration, and ensure regular ventilation in the room to keep the air fresh and flowing, with appropriate temperature and humidity levels.
How is bronchitis diagnosed?
In clinical practice, if bronchitis is suspected, it is not very difficult to confirm the diagnosis. It generally involves combining clinical symptoms with results from routine blood tests, chest X-rays, or CT scans for a definitive diagnosis. Most cases will show thickened bronchial or lung markings, and an increase in the total number of white blood cells in the blood. The main symptoms include coughing, expectoration, and difficulty breathing. Diagnosis can be confirmed by combining personal medical history, physical signs, and laboratory test results, allowing for timely anti-inflammatory treatment.
Symptoms of bronchitis
If it is acute bronchitis, the onset is usually quite sudden and symptoms may include fever, cough, and expectoration. Some patients may experience bloody sputum or symptoms like chest tightness and shortness of breath. Coughing and expectoration often continue for two to three weeks, after which most patients can recover. If it is chronic bronchitis, the onset is often gradual, and symptoms such as coughing, expectoration, and wheezing occur repeatedly. The episodes each year may last for more than three months.