To breathe or not to breathe?!

Welcome back!  This week I will talk about the causes (etiology) and the physiological processes (progression) of acute and chronic BRONCHITIS!!  Let's check out the following video to refresh our memory:

In other words, acute bronchitis is like having a cold in your lungs.  It is caused by either a bacteria or virus.  It can be triggered by air pollution, asthma, dust exposure, having contact with someone who's ill and not washing your hands with soap and water. The inflammation of the linings of the airway makes it very difficult for you to breathe.  Let's picture two swollen branches (bronchi) of your windpipe filled with thick mucous  in your lungs.  You try to breathe, but the air cannot get through. The friction and thick mucous from the swollen branches (bronchi) are preventing the air to go into your lungs.  This leads you to shortness of breath. You try to cough up the thick mucous to clear the airway, but it doesn't work.  However the good news is, it should go away in one to two weeks following proper medical treatment. Take a look at the following picture:

What about chronic bronchitis?  It actually has similar triggers, but SMOKING is the primary cause.  The inflammation of the linings of the airway is the same, but it is a chronic condition.  A person with chronic bronchitis will have the thick mucous cough for most days in a month and for at least three months a year for two years.  Now picture yourself coughing and having shortness of breath almost everyday in a month.  And you experience it for three months in a year for two consecutive years.  Do you still want to smoke?

Unlike acute bronchitis, chronic bronchitis will not go away in one to two weeks.  It is a life-long illness.  People with chronic bronchitis usually develop emphysema (bursting of the air bubbles in your lungs).   When they combine, it will become Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).  Chronic bronchitis can lead to other serious respiratory problems and possibly heart failure.  Let's think twice before you pick up your cigarettes.


Reference:
Understanding Chronic Bronchitis - American Lung Association. (n.d.). Retrieved January 25, 2015, from http://www.lung.org/lung-disease/bronchitis-chronic/understanding-chronic-bronchitis.html