Obstructive bronchitis: symptoms, prevention and treatment of the disease

The human respiratory system is unique: about 20,000 times a day we breathe in oxygen without realizing it. Before you saturate every cell of the body with oxygen, respiratory organs should be prepared as much as possible - to cleanse of all kinds of infections, microorganisms or toxic substances.

All these processes occur just below the trachea, in front of the lungs, in the so-called bronchial tree. Dozens of tubes of different diameters( bronchioles) pass into smaller, alveoli( here the process of transfer of released oxygen into the bloodstream takes place).

Before getting into the blood, oxygen is purified in the bronchi by mucus - a special phlegm. Bronchi produce it in sufficient quantity to create a barrier for the penetration of microorganisms.

Very often, the protective function of the bronchi "breaks down."Mucous membranes become inflamed, they begin to release excessive amounts of mucus. A similar failure of the bronchi is called bronchitis.

Depending on the course of the disease is divided into several types:

1. Obstructive bronchitis.
2. Non-obstructive bronchitis.

Symptoms of obstructive bronchitis

Doctors diagnose obstructive bronchitis in the case when, along with inflammation of the bronchial mucosa, a complication occurs - obstruction. The main symptoms of obstructive bronchitis are congestion and stagnation of mucus and difficulty breathing in and out.

When the mucus in the bronchi is produced very much, it starts to thicken, it is possible the formation of mucous plugs, as a result, the permeability of the vessels decreases, the movement of air is hampered, wheezing in the person during wheezing.

Strong coughing intensifies in the morning, does not stop during the day and can bother at night. As a rule, the patient's fever rises, the duration of the fever depends on the activity of the pathogen that has fallen into the respiratory tract.

During cough, sputum will appear with shades of yellow. Cough can last a week, even two, in some cases - up to a month.

Disease is more severe in young children. Signs of obstructive bronchitis in children - shortness of breath, noisy wheezing, which can be heard by going into another room, sometimes even a bloated chest.

In a clinical blood test without much change, only ESR can be increased. When X-ray examination - strengthening the pulmonary pattern, bloating and increasing the transparency of their tissue.

It is important to know that, for all the severity of the symptoms of obstructive bronchitis, children tolerate it quite easily, unlike pneumonia.

Causes of the disease

Recently, the incidence of bronchitis is so high that it is put on the first( the second highest after pneumonia) place among respiratory diseases. The causes of obstructive bronchitis are three. This is:

1. Allergy.
2. Viruses.
3. Bacteria.

In the first place in terms of frequency - viral bronchitis( about 90% of all cases), although it is worth noting that often doctors themselves adjust statistics in favor of bacterial, prescribing antibiotics to be reinsured.

In most cases, obstructive bronchitis begins with a viral infection, the infection can join due to weakened immunity, or when the child has returned to the children's collective, finally not recovering, and the infection has got into the respiratory tract.

But the answer to the question, whether obstructive bronchitis is contagious, is unequivocally negative. Inflammation of bronchial mucosa is not transmitted from person to person.

Although the infection that provoked bronchitis, can kill a healthy person, and how his bronchi behave, the question is purely individual.

Allergic obstructive bronchitis is more common in children, the symptoms are the same, cough usually begins seizure and mostly at night.

Parents need to be very careful, because the exacerbation will occur regularly, but only if it comes into contact with a certain allergen, and when it disappears, it ends.

It is very important in this form of obstructive bronchitis to diagnose it in time and prevent the transition to bronchial asthma.

If a cough in a child lasts more than three weeks, consult a respiratory specialist to find out if there is any other cough for the cough than inflammation.

Obstructive bronchitis may become recurrent or chronic. The diagnosis of recurrent obstructive bronchitis is raised when a person has suffered the disease three or more times a year.

The specialists of the World Health Organization defined the symptoms of chronic obstructive bronchitis as follows: a cough with sputum that lasts at least three months for 2 years, with no other diseases of the upper respiratory tract, bronchi and lungs.

Treatment to avoid asthma

In the treatment of obstructive bronchitis, the main precept of the doctor should be the phrase "do no harm".First, when diagnosing, do not mix up viral and infectious bronchitis, because prescribing antibiotics in the first case will not only not help, but will also depress the patient's condition.

Secondly, when hypersecretion of mucus, which always accompanies obstruction, can prescribe antitussive drugs, which is contraindicated( they can only be with a dry obtrusive cough).

So, the answer to the question "how to cure obstructive bronchitis" should look something like this: preparations for restoring nasal breathing and expectorants( mucolytic drugs) are mandatory.

Devices evacuating sputum are prescribed for all types of obstruction - inside or inhalation through a nebulizer or aerosol inhaler. Also, doctors recommend bronchodilators with bronchodilators and anti-inflammatory action.

In addition, if sputum is difficult to remove, it can be prescribed for removal by therapeutic gymnastics or various types of massage.

Undoubtedly, with the virus origin of bronchitis - antiviral drugs, with infectious( with the definition of the type of pathogen) - antibiotics, with allergies - antiallergic.

The main thing is to help the immune system cope with the first bronchitis so that it does not happen again and certainly did not go into bronchial asthma. If your child has had bronchitis, do not forget that the prevention of obstructive bronchitis in children is not an empty phrase.

It is important that children have respiratory tract infections, trips to kindergarten started only after recovery, and with possible allergic reactions - elimination of allergens first of all at home( household dust, etc.).

The prevention of obstructive bronchitis in an adult is the cessation of smoking.

Many materials have been written about the treatment of obstructive bronchitis with folk remedies. Healers advise to boil 2 figs in a glass of milk and drink it after hot, mix radish juice or carrots with milk or with a honey drink( in half), drink 1 tablespoon.

There is an experience of using a mixture of 2 tablespoons of butter, 2 egg yolks, 1 teaspoon of wheat flour and 2 teaspoons of honey( take it repeatedly).To facilitate the departure of sputum, syrup of cranberry juice is recommended.