If you are suffering from bronchitis, it is important for you to recognize whether your condition is acute or chronic in nature. Bronchitis is a condition that involves the inflammation of the airways between your lungs and the windpipe. The lining of these tubes produces mucus in large amounts that trigger a lingering cough.

Acute bronchitis is the form of bronchitis that onsets rapidly after a virus infection in your upper respiratory tract. The viruses that cause common cold or influenza, are also responsible for acute bronchitis. Moreover, the germs that are responsible for measles and whooping cough may lead to acute bronchitis. In such cases, the condition is referred to as acute infectious bronchitis. In case of dust, smoke, or fumes causing bronchitis, it is referred to as acute irritative bronchitis.

Diagnosis

For the diagnosis of acute bronchitis, you will be inquired about the symptoms you are experiencing.
After that, an overall and detailed physical examination is carried out, which confirms acute bronchitis.
In some cases, the patient might have to get an X-Ray done for ruling out other conditions such as pneumonia.
Treatment
Generally, in about two weeks, acute bronchitis resolves on its own without any medical treatment.
Medications: Several medications may be prescribed for the treatment of acute bronchitis.

Antibiotics: These are usually not used for treating bronchitis, as the condition occurs from a viral infection. However, when you have a bacterial infection, antibiotics may be useful for treating it.
Cough medicine: It is recommended for you not to suppress cough bringing up mucus, as the coughing helps in removing irritants from the lungs and air passages. In case of cough that hampers your activities, you may take cough suppressants before going to sleep at night.
Other medications: In case you have allergies, or suffer from asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an inhaler along with other medications may be recommended for the reduction of inflammation, and for opening the narrowed passages within your lungs.
Prevention

Quit smoking immediately and try to keep away from secondhand smoke.
Keep yourself clean and hygienic during the flu season.
Try to avoid direct contact with people who are sick or infected.
Get a flu vaccine on a regular, yearly basis.
Drink a lot of fluids throughout the year.
Consider using a warm or cool, moist air humidifier for helping to thin the mucus layers blocking your air passages.
It is important for you to consult a doctor on experiencing any symptom of acute bronchitis. This will allow timely diagnosis and treatment, and prevent the condition from worsening.

Acute Bronchitis - 6 Tips To Help You Prevent It!

Tuberculosis is an airborne communicable disease that mainly affects the lungs. However, it can attack the other organs as well. A tuberculosis infection may be categorised as latent or clinically active. A person is said to be suffering from latent tuberculosis when he or she has been infected with the tuberculosis bacteria, but is protected from the germs by a strong immune system. People showing symptoms of the disease are said to be suffering from a clinically active form of tuberculosis and must seek medical attention as soon as possible.

The symptoms of tuberculosis may be hard to identify as they can be attributed to other causes as well. In some cases, the symptoms may not appear until the disease has reached an advanced stage. Some of the common symptoms associated with this disease are:

Weight loss
Fever
Dry cough
Excessive sweating at night
Unexplained tiredness
Poor appetite
Chest pain
People with a weakened immune system such as those suffering from HIV or those undergoing chemotherapy have a high risk of suffering from this condition. When the disease is in its active form, tuberculosis causing bacteria multiply rapidly and attack the lungs. From here they may spread to other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, kidneys, bones, spine, brain and skin. When it reaches an advanced stage, the symptoms vary according to the organ affected. For example, pain in the bones indicates that the bone tissues have been affected while coughing up blood is a sign of TB of the lungs.

Tuberculosis can be diagnosed through a blood test or with a skin test. An x-ray and a lab analysis of your sputum can also help differentiate between latent and clinically active forms of this disease.
In the case of latent infections, preventive therapy is prescribed to kill the germs before they become active. This typically takes the form of a single tablet that must be taken for six to nine months.

Clinically active tuberculosis can be easily treated and cured as long as the patient undergoes the complete course of treatment. Treatment for this disease usually takes the form of oral medication that must be taken for six to nine months continuously. This is because tuberculosis causing bacteria can take a very long time to die. In some cases, multiple drugs may be prescribed to reduce resistance to the drugs. When it comes to tuberculosis it is important to continue taking medication for its full course, even if the symptoms disappear and you are feeling better. 

7 Signs You Are Suffering From Tuberculosis!

Sputum production and chronic cough for at least three months in a year, consecutively for two years is termed as Chronic Bronchitis. Emphysema and Chronic Bronchitis are different from each other but are covered under the same umbrella COPD, which means Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease and that is because both are diseases related to respiration.

How is Chronic Bronchitis different from Emphysema?
Both of them occur when the airways in the lungs get damaged due to the inflammation of the airways. Emphysema is the result of air sacs break down whereas Chronic Bronchitis is the result of excessive mucus formation and inflammation in the Bronchi. Some people show either of the symptoms while some people show combined symptoms.

Symptoms of Chronic Bronchitis:
The following symptoms are seen in people with Chronic Bronchitis:

Long-term cough
Excessive mucus production
Sudden weight gain
Tight chest
Feeling breathlessness even when you are taking rest
Sometimes, these symptoms will be neglected by many people treating them as symptoms of cold weather, or attributing these symptoms to the presence of too much smoke or fumes around them. But it is always good to consult a doctor if the symptoms persist for a long time.

Physiotherapy and Chronic Bronchitis:
The main goal of your physiotherapy involves exercises that improve tolerance, education, mucus clearance, increase lung volume, reduce exacerbations, and reduce hospitalization.

Exercises that improve tolerance:
Upper and lower limb tolerance training have shown tremendous results in preventing, controlling and managing Chronic Bronchitis. This training helps in airway clearance, reduces airflow obstruction, mucus removal, and increased energy levels.

Postural draining:
Usage of different postures for moving the mucus through the throat and removing it through the mouth. There are different postures used for different patients. It is basically done by placing the affected part at a lower height and the unaffected part comparatively higher.

Autogenic draining:
This technique will help in proper and normal airflow through the bronchi. There will not be any blockage of the airway. Retention of carbon dioxide in the lungs will be reduced, the mucus will be removed and airflow through the airways will improve with this technique.

Percussion:
This technique is used by the physiotherapist along with the postural drainage technique. This is also a technique used for clearing the mucus that got stuck in the airways. Many patients find this technique really useful in mucus removal. In Percussion, the physiotherapist claps on the chest of the patient or on the back of the patients. It depends on how the patient prefers. This gives a relaxing and soothing effect on the patients and helps them release out mucus that got stuck in the airways.

Educating:
Finally, educating the patients about its causes and physiotherapy treatments can help them recover faster.

Chronic Bronchitis - What Should You Expect From A Physiotherapist?

COPD, which is short for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, is a severe form of lung disease that is characterized by increased breathlessness and obstruction of airflow from the lungs. People who are suffering from COPD are at an increased risk of developing lung cancer, heart diseases and many other conditions. It includes progressive lung diseases such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema, few forms of bronchiectasis and refractory (non-reversible) asthma. The former two are the most common conditions contributing to COPD. 

Chronic bronchitis induces inflammation in the airway that carries air to the lungs and fills it with mucus. This either completely blocks the airway or narrows it, causing difficulty in breathing. However, in emphysema, the air sacs inside the lungs which inflate and deflate as you breathe in and out, lose their elasticity due to which less air comes in and goes out leaving you breathless.

The best way to treat COPD is to quit smoking. Your doctor may also prescribe you medications or ask you to enroll in a lung rehab program. 

Causes:

Smoking: Smoking is one of the most common causes of COPD. This is because smoking is known to destroy the stretchy fibers in people's lungs and irritate the airways. Even passive smoking is unhealthy. About 90% of the people having COPD are current or former smokers. 
Genetics: Some individuals suffer from COPD even after refraining from smoking. Genes might be at the helm of COPD in such a case. AATD i.e. Alpha -1 Antitrypsin Deficiency, is a protein in the lungs, the lack of which is one of the most common genetic factor causing emphysema. 
Environmental Factors: Breathing in harmful pollutants present in your environment is also one of the causes of COPD. Fumes, dust or certain chemicals are a few examples of harmful lung irritants. Organic cooking fuel may also cause COPD. Exposing yourself to the aforementioned environmental factors for a prolonged period of time increases your risk of developing COPD substantially. 
Symptoms:

Shortness of breath especially after exercising
Wheezing
Tightness in your chest
Unintended weight loss
Lack of energy
Frequent respiratory infections
Wheezing
Cough accompanied by mucus
Diagnosis:

Physical Exam where your doctor monitors the functioning of your lungs. 
Questioning about your past health (Smoking or other harmful lung irritants).
Spirometry and other breathing tests.
Chest x-rays and other tests to eliminate other problems which could be causing your symptoms.

World Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Day - Know More About COPD!

Asthma is a condition characterized by wheezing and difficulty in breathing. Asthma is a common disease that affects children, teenagers and adults alike. Depending on what triggers an asthmatic attack, asthma can be categorized as four types. These are:

1. Allergic asthma: this sort of asthma usually begins in childhood and is caused by the overproduction of immunoglobulins as a reaction to the allergen. This type of asthma can also be passed on from one generation to another through genes.

2. Infective asthma: this is caused by viral bronchial or upper respiratory tract infections. It is not hereditary.

3. Emotional asthma
Some cases of asthma can be triggered by psychological factors such as stress, grief or anxiety. 
However, it is not clear if this is the sole trigger for asthma.

4. Occupational asthma: exposure to metallic dusts, biological detergents, polyurethane, etc. Can also trigger asthmatic attacks. This type of asthma is called occupational asthma.

A homeopath will not only determine the type of asthma, but will also delve into a detailed medical history of the patient before prescribing medication. Some forms of homeopathic medication that can be used to treat asthma are:

1. Lpecac: this is used to treat asthma in cases where the difficulty breathing is accompanied by a feeling of heaviness over the chest, dyspnoea, constant coughing with no expectoration and cold perspiration. It is often aggravated by motion.

2. Arsenicum: asthmatic attacks that begin in the middle of the night and are accompanied by restlessness and anguish can be treated with arsenicum. This is especially beneficial in cases of chronic asthma in elderly people and habitual dyspnoea.

3. Nux vomica: this is used mainly to treat asthmatic attacks triggered by gastric troubles or be excessive intake of coffee and alcohol. A constricted feeling around the lower part of the chest is another symptom of this type of asthma.

4. Kali bichromicum: asthmatic attacks that wake a patient up in the wee hours of the morning compelling him to sit up, in order to be able to breathe can be treated with kali bichromicum. A stringy yellow mucus expectoration is another symptom of this type of asthma. It can also be used as an effective form of treatment for asthmatic attacks caused by nervousness.

5. Natrum sulphuricum: this is used to treat asthmatic attacks caused by a change in weather. In such cases, the asthmatic attack is accompanied by diarrhea and greenish expectoration. It is usually worst in the early mornings.

Homeopathic Cure for Asthma

The festival of Diwali is greeted with great pomp and splendour and along with the regular festivities, the pollution levels in the air also rise due to the ritual of bursting fire crackers. In an analysis, the rise of harmful pollutants such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide seemed to reveal a disturbing outcome.

The rise in pollution during Diwali affects you in the following ways:

The PM (particulate matter which is smaller than 2.5mm) enters your lungs and bloodstream and has several health impacts including chronic respiratory symptoms such as painful breathing and shortness of breath which might cause premature death.
High sulphur dioxide levels in the air during Diwali also lead to inflammation of air passages and causes complications in respiration.
A compound called  strontium  found in the atmosphere multiplies by 120 times during the festival and causes bone damage and blood clotting ailments.
Firecrackers contain heavy metals which are toxic to the human body and the amount of magnesium in the air goes up by 22x, which poses a significant threat to all forms of life.
The noise pollution also rises during the festival and in extreme cases, can permanently damage one s hearing.
However, there are a few measures you can undertake to steer clear of the excessive pollutants present in the air:

Limit the amount of time you spend outdoors even while exercising. This is because the air remains contaminated, days after all the festivities get over and the pollutants take a very long time to dissipate.
Even on the road, drive with the windows of your car rolled up to avoid intake of adulterated air and use a face mask if you are a two-wheeler rider.
Plant a lot of green plants inside your house as they purify the air you are breathing and ensure a supply of fresh oxygen.
Install an air purifier in the room to make sure you breathe in fresh, uncontaminated oxygen when you sleep. The air purifier will also help in lessening your respiratory complications.
Also, in case you notice any respiratory or breathing problem, it is advisable that you consult a pulmonologist, to rule out serious health issues. 

Diwali - How the Rise in Pollution Level Affects Your Health?

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