Can you hear me?

This week I will talk about how to diagnose the two types of bronchitis.  First of all, let's think about the following questions:

1)  Are you having a fever?
2)  Are you having a cough?
3)  If yes, how long have you been coughing?
4)  Are you having any nasal congestion?
5)  Are you having a runny nose?
6)  Do you feel heavy at your lungs when you breathe?
7)  Do you have a history of asthma?
8)  Do you have trouble breathing?
9)  Are you wheezing when you breathe?
10)  Are you a current smoker?
11)  If yes, how long have you been smoking?
12)  When you cough, do you cough up any phlegm or mucous?
13)  What is the color of your sputum?
14)  Are you having any shortness of breath?
15)  How often were you diagnosed with bronchitis in the past two years?

According to the nurse practitioner journal, cough is the primary symptom of bronchitis.  If you have been coughing for less than three weeks, you are having acute bronchitis.  You may also experience cold-like symptoms, such as nasal congestion, sore throat, fever, and possibly wheezing if you have a history of asthma.  If you experienced repeated bouts of bronchitis, you might be having chronic bronchitis.  

Your doctor may ask you to get a chest X-ray, to see whether it is bronchitis or other respiratory diseases such as pneumonia.  He/she may have a culture of your sputum to see if it's other type of respiratory illnesses and what antibiotic he/she can treat you with.  Lastly, you may need to have a pulmonary function test where you will blow into a spirometer to check how much air your lungs can hold and how quickly you can blow air out.  This device is used to check for asthma or emphysema.

Reference:

Bronchitis. (n.d.). Retrieved February 1, 2015, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bronchitis/basics/tests-diagnosis/con-20014956

Hart, A., Nurse Practitioner: 18 September 2014 - Volume 39 - Issue 9 - p 32–39

doi: 10.1097/01.NPR.0000452978.99676.2b