If you find yourself suffering from coughing spells accompanied by breathlessness and phlegm, you may have bronchitis. Bronchitis is a respiratory disease that causes an inflammation of the bronchial tubes. This narrows the airway and does not allow sufficient oxygen to reach the lungs. There are two types of bronchitis; acute bronchitis that lasts for 1-3 weeks and chronic bronchitis that persists for 3 months to 2 years.

Causes of acute bronchitis
Acute bronchitis is usually a result of viral, lung infections. It can also be caused by bacterial infections and exposure to irritants such as tobacco smoke, dust, vapours and particulate matter in the air.

Causes of chronic bronchitis
Repeated attacks of acute bronchitis can weaken the bronchial passage with time and lead to the development of chronic bronchitis. This condition can also be caused by prolonged exposure to dust, pollution and industrial fumes. This puts coal miners, grain handlers and metal workers at a high risk of suffering from this disease. Smoking cigarettes can also irritate the bronchial tubes and contribute to the development of this condition. Chronic bronchitis worsens when a person is exposed to high levels of sulpher dioxide and other such air pollutants for prolonged time periods. Some of the symptoms of bronchitis are:

A persistent cough
Phlegm
Breathlessness
Tightening of the chest
Fever
If these symptoms last for over a week or begin to interfere with your regular lifestyle, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible. Self-medicating with an over the counter cough suppressant is counterproductive in the case of bronchitis as a cough is the only way for phlegm and mucus to be expelled from the body. Conventional treatment for bronchitis includes

Getting lots of rest
Drinking plenty of fluids
Avoiding exposure to smoke and dust
Steam inhalations
Along with this, your doctor may also prescribe cough medicines and a bronchial inhalator. In cases of chronic bronchitis, oral or inhaled steroids may also be needed. Your doctor may also suggest a flu vaccine as bronchitis make your lungs vulnerable to further infections. If you smoke, your doctor will also urge you to quit as cigarette smoke can aggravate your symptoms.

In cases of severe chronic bronchitis where the bronchial tube s ability to pass oxygen is compromised, oxygen therapy may be needed. In such cases, you may need to have an oxygen tank on hand to be used continuously or as required.

Bronchitis - Common Causes Behind It!

Myth: COPD is an incurable chronic lung disease mainly affecting the aged people (above 60 years).
Fact: There is no denying the fact that COPD is indeed a chronic disorder that severely affects the lungs and its functioning. However, with timely diagnosis and treatment, the condition and the deleterious consequences can be managed and controlled significantly. Since COPD triggers breathing problems (the airflow from the lungs gets obstructed), the use of bronchodilators, oxygen therapy or corticosteroids can be highly beneficial. Though COPD is rare among young adults, the condition can affect people in their late 30's or early 40's as well.

Myth: COPD only affects people who smoke.
Fact: Smoking is one of the triggers for COPD, but the condition can also affect people who have never smoked in their lifetime. Factors such as neonatal chronic lung disease or prolonged exposure to substances that cause lung irritation and damage (toxic industrial fumes and chemicals) can play a pivotal role in triggering COPD. COPD can also be a genetic predisposition.

Myth: People with COPD should avoid exercise and physical activities.



Fact: Mild to moderate exercise (especially breathing exercise) are indeed helpful and go a long way in the effective management of COPD. Exercising regularly (for 20-30 minutes or as the doctor recommended) help to lower the blood pressure and improve the circulation that provides fruitful results for people with breathing problems. However, doctors do advise people with shortness of breath to avoid strenuous exercise.

Myth: COPD only affects the lungs.
Fact: With time and left unmanaged and untreated, COPD acts as a catalyst making a person more susceptible to heart ailments. In some cases, the condition can also trigger depression and anxiety.

Myth: In the case of COPD, giving up on smoking will not produce any positive results.
Fact: Giving up on smoking may not help to reverse the damage that has already been caused by COPD. However, quitting smoking along with proper medications and lifestyle changes does help to control the condition better. In some instances, there were also significant improvements in the associated symptoms (such as shortness of breath, fatigue, wheezing, a chronic cough).

Myth: COPD is another name for Asthma.
Fact: Many people confuse COPD with Asthma. Though some symptoms may appear identical (such as wheezing, shortness of breath), the conditions are different and so are their treatments. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions.

COPD - Are You Aware Of These Myths & Facts?

Have you been coughing so often that it is intervening with your daily routine? Drop that bottle of cough syrup that gives you an instant relief but along with a feeling of drowsiness. Though coughing may appear to be a simple issue, it is very harassing and can lead to various severe problems. Ayurveda has the power to alleviate the suffering to a considerable degree. The Pranavaha Srotas show how the  vata  that controls the respiratory systems in the body can be balanced with Ayurvedic means so that you are relieved.

Symptoms and their mistreatments
There are two types of cough, one with the phlegm that s termed as wet cough and creates congestion, due to which you are unable to breathe. The other type of cough is the dry one, which hurts your throat and forms a pressure on the chest area while you cough. Well, whether dry or wet, a simple disease related to coughing is powerful enough to deprive you of your night s sleep. If you are a patient of bronchitis or any other respiratory disease like sinus, then you are required to deal with the nagging problem of cough.

Ayurveda offers a great way of relieving cough.

Gargles: Whenever you feel soreness around your neck, take a glassful of warm water and add a pinch of salt in it and start to gargle. The salt would help to drain out the excess fluids from the inflamed areas, thus, reducing the symptoms. It also helps in removing the mucus and thinning of the mucus. Gargling with salt should be avoided by patients suffering from hyper-tension. Such people can use simple warm water without salt.
Take honey: It is not feasible to gargle anywhere and everywhere and in such cases, you can have a spoonful of honey as it is believed to soothe the irritation in the throat area. If you have a particular tendency to cough during the night time, then a glassful of warm milk with some honey can relieve your suffering. Diabetic patients should avoid honey.
Turmeric remedies: A traditional Indian remedy to alleviate soreness of the throat region is to drink hot milk mixed with honey. You may even opt for turmeric gargles where you will have to mix half teaspoon of turmeric along with the same quantity of table salt in a glassful of lukewarm water and gargle with it. To get rid of dry cough, alternately, you can mix some turmeric powder in a spoonful of honey and take it thrice in a day.
Allopathic and synthetic medicines are generally loaded with numerous side-effects including nausea and drowsiness. In the worst case, it may lead to dependence and addiction as well. Thus, embracing Ayurveda can help you get out of the ailment permanently.

Cough - 3 Easy Home Remedies for Treating it!

It is true that most people are aware of the fact that  angina  is a term which has something or the other to do with the heart. That being said, very few would be able to answer a question regarding what exactly it is, in a satisfactory manner. So would it not make sense to know more about it and become one of the few?

The term is derived from the ancient language of Latin and refers to a tightness that is felt or a squeezing of the chest. This happens when there is not enough oxygen-rich blood which is reaching the area of the heart muscle. While many people think that angina is a disease, it is actually not true to think that it is! As a matter of fact, it is a symptom of coronary artery disease. It is this disease which is the most common disease which affects the heart.

But why exactly does a person experience angina? Well, the lack of blood which is rich in oxygen occurs when it so happens that the coronary arteries become narrower than they normally should be. This generally happens due to the build-up of plaque. The condition in which this happens is known as atherosclerosis.

When it comes to the sort of people who are at a higher risk of developing angina, it can be said that those who smoke tobacco really do increase their risk, as do those who are overweight or obese and have other lifestyle diseases such as diabetes.

In order to avoid angina, the most important thing a person can possibly control is his or her lifestyle. In fact, a lot of the risk factors related to angina are attributable to the lifestyle a person chooses to lead. Cholesterol levels can be controlled if a person puts enough attention and effort in. Also, avoiding a lifestyle that is sedentary by exercise can not only help with cutting the risk of angina but also the risks of other conditions such as high blood pressure. It is ironic that high blood pressure is one of the potential signals of angina!

It is to be noted that while most people just call angina as it is, there are various types-

Stable angina is when the heart is working harder than usual and medicine helps improve this.

Unstable angina occurs even at rest and is unpredictable. It may also be a signal of a coming heart attack.

Variant and microvascular angina is relievable by medicine and is generally rare.

What Is Angina?

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disorder. In asthma, the airways of the lungs get inflamed. Due to this inflammation, there is swelling inside the airways. This also causes excess production of mucous. The combined effect of swelling and mucus production is that the passage of air gets obstructed. This makes breathing difficult. A whistling sound or wheezing is often heard in such patients. Often the patient gets cough due to this obstruction of the airways. This cough is a reflex of the body to get rid of the excess mucous in the airways. A sense of tightness or heaviness is felt in the chest. One cannot expand the chest fully while inhaling. This is a medical condition characterised by paroxysmal wheezing respiration dyspnoea. 
Homeopathy for Asthma-
When it comes to the treatment of Asthma, Homeopathy is much better at treating asthma. It is in stark contrast to allopathy, where inhalers and steroids are used to suppress inflammation. Homeopathic medicines do not aim at just reducing inflammation. They also intend to cure the basic cause of the recurrent inflammation. This way, not only the symptoms of asthma are treated but the incidence of asthmatic attacks is completely eliminated. With a couple of months of Homeopathic treatment, you will be able to live a disease-free and medicine-free life. It is worthwhile to mention here that all Homeopathic remedies are natural and do not contain any chemicals. That is why these purely natural homeopathic remedies do not have any side effects at all. Here is a list of the top homeopathic medicines for asthma, along with the symptoms when they are used-
Ipecac: Ipecac is used in treating asthma, where the patient experiences symptoms like heaviness and tension around the chest area. Sudden wheezing, suffocation is experienced followed by other symptoms like motions, vomiting and gagging. The cough remains constant, and the chest gets filled up with phlegm. Cold and perspiration is also likely to be experienced. A patient may feel as if a lump is present in the chest. Increased salivation is also indicated.
Arsenicum: Arsenicum is an efficient homeopathic medicine, which treats asthma attacks, which take place after midnight. The patient is anxious, restless, and cannot sleep because of the fear of being suffocated. In such cases, the patient dozes off a bit, and wakes up with great burning sensation and sore feeling in the chest. Arsenicum is prescribed during chronic stages of asthma, usually in elderly people.
Nux Vomica: Nux Vomica is used when asthma attacks occur due to gastric disorders and during simple spasmodic asthmas. People who consume an excess of caffeine or alcohol are more likely to experience such attacks. A constricting feeling in the lower chest region may be experienced. These attacks commonly occur during the morning.
Kali Bichromicum: This homeopathic medicine is used is asthmatic patients where the asthma attacks occur because of potashes. The attacks generally occur between three to four a.m. in the morning. The patient gets compelled to rise from sleep and sit up in order to breathe. A stringy yellow mucus may be produced, and the patient feels a lack of air in his chest.
Natrum Sulphuricum: This is another effective medicine for treating asthma. The symptoms of asthma treated with this medicine get worse in damp weather. Most asthma attacks occur with a rattling sensation being felt in the chest. Bowel movement may become loose after this type of asthma attack. Alcohol and aerated drinks make the symptoms even worse. Such attacks are common in the morning with the production of a green mucus.
Homeopathy has no side effects and treats the underlying cause of asthma. You should consult a homeopathic practitioner before starting homeopathic treatment for asthma. 

Treating Asthma With Homeopathy

Asthma is a respiratory disease that takes place with a variety of symptoms including breathlessness, wheezing and coughing. It usually occurs when the airways get obstructed, which in turn leads to inflammation of the tubes. So how can you recognise the signs and symptoms of asthma? here is a list of ways!

Risk identification: it has been observed by doctors and medical science that there is no specific reason for the onset of this ailment. It can be caused due to genetic as well as environmental factors. So, in order to recognise the symptoms, you will first of all have to take stock of both these factors. Find out if you have any blood relatives who have suffered from this ailment and try to find out how it started and at what age, so that you can watch out for the same warning signs. Also, if you are more prone than others when it comes to allergic conditions like rhinitis and atopic dermatitis, then you are at risk. Other risk factors also include living in a high pollution zone, as well as being overweight, smoking, working within close range of exhaust fumes and other chemicals, and other such factors.

Symptom identification: to be able to identify whether or not you are at risk, you must identify the potential symptoms including persistent shortness of breath, which may strike regularly. Also, another symptom is not being able to sleep comfortably due to excessive coughing and breath shortness as well as shallow breathing and wheezing. You may also experience some amount of chest tightening or constriction. These symptoms will usually get worse if you happen to be suffering from the flu or a cold. 

Respiratory health: if you are suspecting the onset of this disease, it would be a good idea to watch your respiratory health by observing the rise and fall of your breath when you are doing energy consuming and strenuous activities like exercising or other such tasks. Sports induced asthma is an actual condition that can get worse when your lungs are faced with cold and dry air. Also, if you are facing exhaust fumes and chemicals as a part of your job, then you are at risk of occupational asthma, in which case you should watch your respiratory health very closely. These symptoms can also get worse when you are around animals and pets due to the allergens that may trigger wheezing and coughing. A lung function test can be conducted by the pulmonologist in case you are suffering from any of these symptoms and conditions on a persistence and prolonged basis. 

Knowing and reporting your symptoms to the doctor is important for getting timely treatment.

How to Recognise Asthma?

Don't wait any longer, manage your Thoracic (Chest) Surgeon online with a Lybrate doctor today

Consult for Thoracic (Chest) Surgeon - Online and Easy!

FilterClear All

COMMON SPECIALITIES

COMMON ISSUES