Infection of the bronchus and bronchioles is called bronchitis. It is the inflammation of the bronchi and is characterised by coughing up phlegm and also the narrowing of the bronchi causing breathlessness. When these bronchi and bronchioles get infected, they swell and mucus (thick fluid) forms. This makes it hard for you to breathe. You may cough up mucus and you may wheeze (make a whistling sound when you breathe).
Acute bronchitis is almost always caused by viruses that attack the lining of the bronchial tree and cause infection. As your body fights back against these viruses, more swelling occurs and more mucus is made. It takes time for your body to kill the viruses and heal the damage to your bronchial tubes.
In most cases, the same viruses that cause colds cause acute bronchitis. Research has shown that bacterial infection is much less common in bronchitis than we used to think. Very rarely, an infection caused by a fungus can cause acute bronchitis.
Usually acute bronchitis will go away on its own after a few days or a week. Because acute bronchitis is usually caused by viruses, antibiotics usually do not help. Even if you cough up mucus that is coloured or thick, antibiotics probably won’t help. If you smoke, you should cut down on the number of cigarettes you smoke, or stop smoking completely. This will help the bronchial tree heal faster.
For some people with acute bronchitis, doctors prescribe medicines that are usually used to treat asthma. These medicines can help open the bronchial tubes and clear out mucus. They are usually given with an inhaler. An inhaler sprays the medicine right into the bronchial tree. This is known as a bronchodilator drugs.
Emphysema is due mainly to smoking because of the alveoli expanding and having air in them. They are enlarged causing damage this reduces the surface area for the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Severe emphysema causes breathlessness, which is made worse by infections. There is no specific treatment but the patient may become dependent on oxygen. It is associated with bronchitis, smoking and also advancing age.
These two diseases are not only caused by smoking but by how much cigarettes are actually smoked in a day. In Britain 40% men are in the risk of having these diseases between the ages of 40-65. Whereas women have an 8% risk of having the disease between the ages of 40-65.
