Symptoms of Bronchitis

Bronchitis is the inflammation of the bronchi. It may develop suddenly, following a head cold (acute bronchitis), or it may persist or return regularly for many years, causing progressive degeneration of the bronchi and lungs (chronic bronchitis). Certain people are more susceptible than others; Men are more of a target to bronchitis than women, outnumbering them 10 to 1 — the reasons are unclear. Of course, smokers are 50 times more likely to get chronic bronchitis than non-smokers. Acute bronchitis is a bacteria or virus infection, often following a cold smoking. People who have acute bronchitis usually have a mild fever, soreness under breastbone, irritated by coughing. First, they have a dry cough then the cough later brings up green and yellow mucus. A cough may persist for 4 to 6 weeks. Chronic bronchitis is produced by other chronic problem: sinusitis, smoking, TB, etc. The Bronchi becomes thick, inelastic, and accumulate mucus and pus in lower part of lungs instead of bringing discharges up and out. The result is a chronic cough, shortness of breath, sometimes spasm, and frequent infection.

Symptoms.
In acute bronchitis, the basic symptoms are a head cold, fever and chills, running nose, aching muscles and possibly back pains. This is soon followed by the obvious persistent cough. At first, the cough is dry and racking and eventually becomes phlegmy. A persistent cough is worse at night than during the day, and when the person breathes in smoke and fumes.

The main symptoms most recognized in chronic bronchitis is, again, a cough, with sputum, often occurring in paroxysms. Other symptoms of chronic bronchitis are dependant on how much, or how little, emphysema is present. This disorder causes the lungs to become overstretched, making the breathing process difficult.

Chronic bronchitis with no emphysema tends to be overweight and often has a bluish tinge to his or her lips due to lack of oxygen.