Acute Bronchitis

Definition and causes

Bronchitis means inflammation of the bronchial tubes. Bronkierne is the continuation of the trachea, which distributes air out of the two lungs. In acute bronchitis there is suddenly a betændelsesreaktion (inflammation) in the bronchial tubes, causing narrowing of air due to swelling of the mucous membranes. The reason is most often infected with a virus, which typically also can provide cold, or an infection with certain bacteria. The ordlydende disease chronic bronchitis is another disease that is characterized by chronic changes, often caused by smoking and not infection. However, it is not unusual that people with chronic bronchitis have cases of acute bronchitis in the winter.

Acute bronchitis may occur both in children and adults. There is sæsonvariation, and most cases seen in winter as other classic infectious diseases, for example. cold and influenza .

Symptoms of acute bronchitis

The symptoms usually start with the following:

Dry cough.
Burning sensation in the middle of the chest behind the sternum.
Pain aggravated by coughing.
Slimdannelse and opspyt of any. yellowish secrete.
Pibende breathing and possible. breathing difficulties.
The disease can occur both with or without fever, but it is usually affected by general sygdomsfornemmelse.

The duration of the disease is usually 3-4 days, after which the waning of itself.

Precautions and diagnosis

Seeing Monday the above symptoms without major difficulty breathing, it is recommended to wait a few days and see if the disease does not in itself. Do Monday difficulty in breathing, you must go to the doctor, who will examine the airways and try to make a diagnosis. The symptoms may in some cases resemble those from pneumonia That the doctor also will investigate.

If you smoke, you should generally try to stop, and especially during a case of acute bronchitis, as it may aggravate the condition.

Treatment of acute bronchitis

Acute bronchitis, in most cases not treated, unless you have trouble breathing. The disease is usually over by itself. You can also choose to take a general hovedpinepiller in the correct dose (see Note) and wait a few days.

This is due to acute bronchitis in most cases is due to the virus, which can not deal with drugs. Do we have the other hand, problems with breathing, you can go to the doctor, to help with symptomatic treatment with drugs that extend the airways.

Hostedæmpende funds may in some cases a little help, especially for dry cough.

Discovery Monday a greenish opspyt may indicate that there is a bacterial infection. In that case, your doctor will deal with appropriate antibiotics.