Bronchitis in adults: symptoms, diagnosis, treatment. Viral or bacterial acute bronchitis in adults

This disease is quite widespread; when it occurs, the respiratory system suffers. Therefore, every person should know the symptoms, diagnosis and healing procedure. The disease, when inflammation occurs in the bronchial system, increased secretion occurs and patency is impaired, is called bronchitis. In addition to respiratory manifestations, the disease is accompanied by general intoxication.

Appears from pathogens that cause common colds and infections that appear in the upper respiratory tract. With bronchial disease, mucus appears. Small villi in their usual form perfectly cleanse inhaled air masses and lose their active mobility in mucus.

Important! If self-treatment does not produce an effect within several days and difficulty breathing does not go away, you must call a doctor or an ambulance.

Because the villus loses its ability to purify the inhaled air, and an increase in the influence of irritating elements on the area of the bronchial system occurs. This leads to increased mucous secretion, causing a negative cough that characterizes bronchitis. During attacks, viscous sputum is usually yellow or gray.

It is noted that in the initial stage, the disease behaves like a common cold. Subsequently, it is localized in the chest area. During the inflammatory process, in the cells located in the bronchi, the secretion of viscous mucus increases, the respiratory ducts become clogged, breathing becomes difficult and causes all sorts of symptoms.

A cough is accompanied by the presence of mucus in the bronchi and must be removed. When sick, gray or light yellow sputum is produced during attacks. Severe pain in the upper chest area accompanies the disease; it increases significantly during coughing attacks.

For a large number of patients, the disease does not pose any danger; it is perfectly treatable. But for people who smoke and suffer from asthma or other lung diseases, who inhale a lot of dirty air often (at hazardous jobs), the risk of developing various bronchitis increases significantly.

If heart failure occurs, bronchitis is very dangerous and requires a long recovery. If the patient has a cough and there are blood streaks in the clots (or have a greenish tint), you should immediately visit a doctor; it may turn out to be inflammatory processes in the lung area.

Symptoms

Expressed as follows:

Cough (dry) - appears in the early stages, the duration depends on various reasons.
Wet cough - appears in the second type stage. The patient experiences a discharge of fluid that is clear or yellowish-green in color.
Temperature rises to 38 degrees
Manifestation of weakness, malaise, increased sweating.
A significant decrease in activity and the occurrence of shortness of breath.
The occurrence of wheezing in the area of the lungs, they are of a dry and rather rough type. During expectoration, wheezing takes on the stage of wet sounds.

As a rule, cough is one of the main signs of damage to the bronchial region. If these symptoms are detected, a full examination is prescribed.

Important! Acute manifestations of the disease usually occur suddenly, however, a proper examination will give results after 3 weeks.

To understand that a disease associated with acute inflammation of the respiratory system has begun, you need to pay attention to the following factors:

Presence of high temperature (about 3 days).
Children experience shortness of breath.
Chest swelling occurs.
Accessory muscles take part in breathing.
Compliant zones are drawn into the chest area.
There is wheezing when breathing.

Symptoms in children

The disease in its aggravated form is observed in children already on the first day of the development of acute respiratory viral infections; cases are quite rare when the disease occurs 2-3 days after the initial stage of the disease. This is explained by the fact that the child’s body is more susceptible than the adult population. This is due to the physiological characteristics of children:

The child's immune mechanisms are imperfect for antimicrobial protection.
Features of the bronchial tree are designed in such a way that they prevent the outflow of sputum.
Tendency to excessive production of sputum and the inability of the cilia to bring it out.
Contacts of children with other children who have viral pathogens. This usually happens in kindergartens.
Increased reactivity of smooth muscle components associated with the bronchial wall. This, as a rule, leads to spasms and maximum narrowing of the lumens in the respiratory system.

Important! As noted by experts, in childhood the disease is most severe and takes a much longer time than in adults. It is noted that the younger the patient is, the more dangerous the disease is. This lasts until the characteristics of the bronchi change and serious changes in the immune system occur.

In children, clinical features differ significantly from adults. For them, not only coughing attacks come first, but also signs of intoxication. When an illness occurs, the child becomes very lethargic, weakened, refuses to eat, and does not even drink water.

In severe cases, with symptoms of the disease, shortness of breath occurs, breathing is difficult and is accompanied by bubbling and sharp sounds and wheezing. In older children, the course of the disease in this form appears much less frequently.

The baby exhibits the following ailments:

Breathing becomes noisy and whistling.
Concern and nervousness.
The child is in satisfactory condition.
Body temperature is subfebrile.
Shortness of breath occurs.
Accessory muscles take an active part in breathing.

Signs

If an illness occurs, you should check your condition for signs indicating the occurrence of this disease. Considering the fact that inflammatory processes are most often characterized by acute respiratory infections, great attention should be paid to the condition of the bronchi, which arise against the background of acute illnesses. In the presence of active viral infections, the surface of the bronchi is an easy target for the emergence and growth of pathogenic microbes. The important point here is that the disease is significantly complicated by the addition of microbial flora. It is during this period that the treatment procedure undergoes changes, and doctors change its scheme.

In inflammatory processes, the following factors are most clearly noticeable:

Cough. It is the main sign of the manifestation of the disease, both in acute and chronic forms. It is quite serious, interferes with proper sleep, and can even cause vomiting in children. Subsequently, mucus with impurities of pus begins to come out, this indicates the presence of pathogenic microbes in the bronchi. A sick person gets relief by changing the type of cough.
Increase in body temperature. This refers to the main symptom of the inflammatory process in the bronchi. Body temperature can rise to 40 degrees, sometimes even higher.

There are cases when bronchitis develops as a respiratory disease caused by infection. The sick person experiences a slight increase in temperature, a headache, a wet cough and a significant deterioration in general condition. Many sick people do not pay due attention to such symptoms, considering them to be a common cold.

It should be remembered that with this type of disease, the cough does not go away for a very long time; it can last up to 14 days or more. You need to monitor your condition and if it does not go away within 3 weeks, then this means that the disease has accepted a sluggish ongoing process. This may indicate a weak functioning of the immune system and the great likelihood of the disease becoming chronic.

The acute form of the disease can be cured without much effort; this happens if the patient consults a specialist in a timely manner. However, there are times when the disease provokes the formation of an inflammatory process in the lungs.

But it should be remembered that a correct diagnosis and timely treatment will not allow complications of various kinds to arise.

Important! When acute bronchitis occurs, body temperature can rise to 40 degrees and last for a week. It goes away after 10 days. Often, with this type of bronchitis, painful sensations occur in the throat. The disease progresses favorably; in some cases, pneumonia may occur.

If an illness occurs, you should go home and stay warm.

To liquefy and relieve sputum waste, it is necessary to take as many infusions and decoctions of herbal composition as possible.
To lower the temperature in case of general discomfort, you need to drink aspirin or paracetamol tablets (the dosage will be prescribed by your doctor).
To maintain humidity in the apartment, you can use humidifiers.
Breathe warm air and drink plenty of hot drinks.
Go to the bathhouse and (if you don’t have a fever) take a steam bath - this will help reduce coughing attacks.
Take medications that help to clear phlegm (sold in pharmacies without a prescription), they improve the discharge of phlegm.
Stop taking antitussive drugs, they interfere with normal sputum discharge.

Attention! In case of repeated manifestations of attacks of the disease, a specialist examination will be required, this is explained by the fact that these may be characteristic signs of chronic bronchitis, which causes irreversible damage in the lung area.

When you contact a specialist, he can prescribe a medical appointment. bronchial dilators. After inhalations, relief occurs almost immediately. In case of bacterial infections, they are prescribed.

If suspicion arises, an x-ray of the chest area is prescribed.
Depending on the type and severity of the disease, hospitalization may be required.
If treatment takes place at home, the healing period will require a period of 7 to 10 days.
The diagnosis of acute bronchitis is usually based on the main symptoms. If necessary, you may need to take sputum samples for testing.
Treatment procedures occur independently and last, on average, a week. Relief of symptoms refers to the results of the treatment.
Antibiotics are not prescribed until the nature of the disease is identified. It should be remembered that these medications are prescribed as a precaution, as a secondary infection. This is used for bronchial asthma, heart disease and other chronic ailments.

Important for patients! During the period of illness, individual dishes should be used for the sick person. To prevent transmission of infection to others, cover your face with your hand when coughing.

To avoid the development of the disease, you should follow some tips:

Quit smoking as soon as possible.
Try to avoid contact with people who have a cold or acute bronchitis.
When working with various chemicals or other irritating substances, be sure to wear protective gloves and a mask.
If the patient has ailments such as bronchial asthma or allergies, methods of prevention should be discussed with your doctor.

Bronchitis in medicine is an inflammatory process that occurs in the respiratory tract, namely in the bronchi. This disease is not considered dangerous to health and life, but in the absence of proper treatment, bronchitis can cause complications. Doctors distinguish several types of bronchitis, each of them is characterized by distinctive symptoms. In addition, the treatment for each type of inflammatory process under consideration will be different.

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Classification of bronchitis

Doctors distinguish the following types of bronchitis according to the reasons for its occurrence:

Viral bronchitis - inflammation develops against the background of diagnosed acute respiratory viral infections, influenza,;
toxic-chemical - appears against the background of either general poisoning of the body, or with regular inhalation of toxic substances (this can be, for example, under unfavorable working or living conditions);
tuberculous bronchitis - caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which is always present in the bronchi even in early tuberculosis;
infectious bronchitis - bronchitis is provoked by the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria, in some cases the inflammatory disease in question develops against the background of atypical bacteria ();
allergic bronchitis - occurs only against the background of an existing allergic reaction to any external or internal irritant.

There is another type of bronchitis - mycobacterial, but it is diagnosed very rarely and is rather an exception. This type of inflammation in the bronchi is caused by non-tuberculous mycobacteria. Bronchitis in medicine is differentiated by the type of course (this is the most common classification of the disease):

acute bronchitis - which occurs during acute respiratory viral infections or influenza (most often), is easily treatable and after 3-4 weeks of competent therapy the patient fully recovers;
chronic bronchitis - characterized by a long course (at least 6 months), a persistent cough and is considered the most common form of the disease in adults.

The doctor can determine the types of bronchitis by development. There are only 2 of them - primary and secondary. In the first case, the inflammatory process develops independently, there are no pathological changes or damage to the respiratory organs. But with secondary bronchitis, the underlying disease is always diagnosed, against the background of which the inflammatory process developed (for example, ARVI, influenza). There is also obstructive bronchitis, but it is considered without connection with other types/types/forms of the inflammatory process in the bronchi, therefore in this article it will be described in a separate section.

Signs of different types of bronchitis

The most important and indicative symptom of bronchitis is a cough, but it will have a different “color” for different types and types of inflammation. Therefore, doctors classify the symptoms of bronchitis as follows:

Mild infectious bronchitis:

dry cough, which periodically turns into wet;
discomfort is felt in the chest (patients may complain of a sensation of a foreign body, pressure);
increased weakness;
body temperature rises to subfebrile levels (37-37.5 degrees), but in exceptional cases it can be high;
breathing is harsh, obvious wheezing is heard when taking deep breaths;
clinical blood test remains unchanged.

Infectious bronchitis of moderate and severe course:

severe cough, which leads to pain in the chest and upper abdomen - this is a consequence of severe overexertion;
weakness and general malaise are pronounced;
breathing is difficult;
purulent or serous-purulent sputum comes out of the lungs;
wheezing when listening to the lungs is moist, finely bubbled.

Allergic bronchitis. Appears only upon direct contact with an irritant to which the patient is allergic. Symptoms:

breathing is difficult, shortness of breath is noted when exhaling;
wheezing is dry and scattered;
body temperature remains within normal limits.

Toxic-chemical bronchitis:

painful cough;
severe shortness of breath;
paroxysmal stabbing pain appears in the chest;
headache and loss of appetite;
after some time, respiratory failure and hypoxemia increase;
mucous membranes acquire a bluish tint;
breathing is harsh with wheezing.

Acute bronchitis:

the cough is severe, at the beginning of the development of the disease it is dry, then becomes wet;
body temperature rises to high levels;
rapid fatigue up to loss of performance;
chills, general malaise, severe weakness;
pain in the chest;
When listening to the lungs, dry rales are clearly audible.

Chronical bronchitis:

cough - during periods of remission it can be paroxysmal and dry, during exacerbation - wet and exhausting;
shortness of breath - during remission it is practically absent, during exacerbation it becomes pronounced and disrupts night sleep;
sputum is always present - during remission it is ordinary mucus (can be yellow, brown and even black, which is typical for miners), which occurs after each coughing attack. When exacerbated, it is serous-purulent or purulent in nature.

The doctor talks in more detail about the symptoms of bronchitis:

Important: The body temperature in chronic bronchitis may not rise at all, even during an exacerbation, but this syndrome is individual and depends on the level of the patient’s immune system. With a long course of chronic bronchitis and lack of proper treatment, hemoptysis may appear. If it is the appearance of blood streaks/fibers in the sputum, then there is no need to worry, but if the presence of blood is too pronounced, then you need to inform your doctor about this fact - perhaps the tissue cells affected by inflammation have degenerated into cancerous ones.

Treatment of bronchitis in adults

Bronchitis, regardless of its type and form, must be treated. Direct therapeutic measures can also take place at home - only patients with severe bronchitis or general signs of intoxication are subject to hospitalization.

Drug therapy

Doctors must prescribe the following medications:

Mucolytic (expectorant). They are useful for dry coughs or delayed sputum discharge. The most effective are Bromhexine and Lazolvan.
Antitussives. They are needed for a non-productive painful cough. Most often it is recommended to take Libexin and Sinekod.
Antibacterial (antibiotics). Tetracycline drugs, Amoxicillin, Macrolides, Cephalosporins, Amoxiclav, Fluoroquinolones may be prescribed.

Note: Antibiotics for bronchitis are prescribed only for severe chronic bronchitis, with its frequent relapses. Acute bronchitis can be easily treated without the use of antibacterial drugs. The specific type of these drugs is selected by determining the sensitivity of the causative agent of bronchitis to antibiotics.

If the inflammatory disease in question is accompanied by an increase in body temperature, then doctors prescribe antipyretic drugs - for example, Paracetamol or Aspirin. But the latter is used infrequently as a drug to reduce temperature, as it has many contraindications - for example, Aspirin should not be taken by patients diagnosed with gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcers, and cardiovascular diseases.

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy plays a very important role in the treatment of various types of bronchitis - some doctors claim that without it, even the most competent treatment with medications will not give the quick and expected effect. The most effective methods of physiotherapy for bronchitis are:

Warming the chest - is prescribed only as additional treatment procedures after an exacerbation of chronic bronchitis has been relieved or the first stage of treatment for acute bronchitis has been completed.
Massage - done when sputum is poorly discharged, ensures better opening of the bronchi and acceleration of the outflow of serous-purulent or purulent sputum.
Therapeutic breathing exercises - helps restore normal breathing and get rid of shortness of breath.
. It’s hard to call them exclusively physical procedures, because for the most part such procedures are full-fledged therapy. The following are used as inhalation agents:

Dioxidin is an antiseptic agent, most often used for exacerbation of chronic bronchitis and for the viral form of the inflammatory process in question. This drug is diluted for inhalation with saline in a ratio of 1:10; 4 ml is enough for one inhalation.
Atrovent is a bronchodilator drug, sold in pharmacies in liquid form. To carry out the inhalation procedure, you need to dilute 2 ml of Atrovent in 2 ml of saline solution - the resulting amount is intended for one inhalation.
Fluimucil is a medicine that loosens/thintens mucus. This drug is specifically intended for inhalation. Therefore, it is implemented in a form that is already ready for this procedure.
Lazolvan is a bronchodilator that relieves cough and symptoms of shortness of breath. Pharmacies have a special form for inhalation, so there is no need to prepare it specially. For one procedure, 3-5 ml of Lazolvan is enough.
Ventolin - quickly relieves an attack of suffocating cough. Sold in nebulas, one is enough for inhalation, but the contents of the nebula must first be diluted in a 1:1 ratio with saline solution.
Chlorophyllipt is an antiseptic that is diluted with saline solution in a ratio of 1:10 for inhalation. For one inhalation procedure, 4 ml is enough.

For inhalation for bronchitis, it is advisable to use – a special preparation that ensures uniform spraying of the drug throughout the bronchi.

Treatment of bronchitis with folk remedies

In folk medicine there are dozens of recipes that effectively help in the treatment of bronchitis of various types/forms and types. Almost all of them are approved by official medicine and can be safely used in exacerbation of chronic bronchitis or in the treatment of acute forms of the inflammatory process in question. These include:

Mix equal amounts of sunflower seeds, carrots and alcohol (pre-dilute it with water in a 1:1 ratio). Stir and leave for 12 hours. Then take the resulting product 1 teaspoon three times a day before meals; there is no need to drink it or eat it. After 3 days, all the symptoms of the disease in question will disappear, and if chronic bronchitis is being treated, the frequency of exacerbations will be significantly reduced.
Mix 500 grams of lard, the same amount of butter and sugar in a saucepan. Place on the fire and bring to complete dissolution over low heat. Let the product cool slightly and add 500 g of honey and three tablespoons of cocoa (powder). Take the finished product 1 tablespoon in the morning on an empty stomach, washed down with warm milk (in any quantity). This remedy perfectly helps with acute and chronic bronchitis, quickly relieving all the symptoms of these diseases.
Mix a kilogram of honey, half a liter of aloe juice, half a liter of liquid lard (pork), add grated dark chocolate to the mass, turn everything into a homogeneous mass by heating in a water bath. You need to take the resulting remedy twice a day, a tablespoon before meals (at least 30 minutes before meals) until the symptoms of bronchitis disappear.

To relieve coughing attacks and ensure a restful sleep, it is recommended for the patient to apply compresses to the chest at night, which can be from boiled potatoes “in their uniforms” (just crush them, wrap them in cloth and apply to the upper chest), from an alcohol solution (alcohol is diluted water in a 1:1 ratio or use vodka) or a leaf of white cabbage and honey.

In folk medicine there are also inhalations, however, they use exclusively natural ingredients. For example, you can use sage and thyme leaves - they will relieve inflammation, chamomile flowers - have an antiseptic effect, oregano and mint - a calming effect helps to relax the bronchi and relieve a severe cough.

Traditional methods of treating bronchitis can only be used after consultation with your doctor. In some cases, it is impossible to ensure a full recovery without drug therapy.

Obstructive bronchitis

This type of bronchitis is never a primary disease and always occurs against the background of already developed inflammation in the respiratory tract. Obstruction is a narrowing of the lumen of the bronchi, which leads to a serious condition of the patient.

Types and symptoms of obstructive bronchitis

Acute obstructive bronchitis is characterized by:

catarrh of the upper respiratory tract;
dry cough of high intensity;
the presence of sputum in the bronchi, which practically does not separate;
difficulty breathing, shortness of breath is clearly heard when exhaling;
a temperature of an exclusively subfebrile nature - it is this factor that distinguishes acute bronchitis from obstructive bronchitis.

Chronic obstructive bronchitis:

intense cough, sputum is released in the morning;
shortness of breath appears only during physical activity, but during periods of exacerbation it constantly bothers the patient;
breathing is difficult and characterized by whistling;
with exacerbation of chronic obstructive bronchitis, the sputum becomes purulent in nature.

Reasons for development

Obstructive bronchitis can develop against the background of:

chronic bronchitis;
diagnosed tumors of the trachea or bronchi;
poisoning with toxic substances;
long-term smoking;
hyperreactivity of the respiratory system;
allergic reactions with frequent relapses.

Treatment of obstructive bronchitis

Treatment of this type of inflammatory process in the bronchi should be carried out in a hospital setting - only in a medical institution can doctors conduct constant monitoring of the patient’s condition. The treatment regimen for obstructive bronchitis is as follows:

bronchodilators - Atrovent, Berotek, Salbutamol, Teopek;
mucoregulatory drugs – Ambroxol, Lazolvan;
therapeutic breathing exercises;
inhalation procedures.

If the patient has purulent sputum, then antibacterial drugs (antibiotics) will be prescribed, and for progressive respiratory failure, corticosteroids.

Bronchitis during pregnancy

Pregnancy implies a refusal to take medications, so the development of bronchitis during pregnancy is considered a problem. No, the inflammatory process in the bronchi does not pose any danger to either the woman herself or the fetus. But treatment of even acute bronchitis should be carried out only under the supervision of doctors, including gynecologists.

You must remember the following rules:

It is strictly forbidden to take even seemingly harmless medications on your own;
it is quite possible to carry out inhalations with an alkaline solution (regular baking soda diluted in warm boiled water in the proportion of 1 teaspoon per 200 ml of water);
Go to bed immediately; if your temperature rises, you can and should drink tea with raspberries or viburnum, but do not take antipyretics.

With the right approach to treating bronchitis during pregnancy, the disease does not cause any complications. Bronchitis is not considered a dangerous disease, but it not only needs to be treated - the doctor must classify the disease, find out the cause of its development and give recommendations for prevention. The lecture of the doctor of restorative medicine, N.V. Prokofieva, is devoted to the treatment of obstructive and other types of bronchitis.

If, against the background of other cold symptoms, a cold occurs, which after a couple of days turns into a wet one, then, most likely, we can talk about the manifestation of a disease such as acute bronchitis. What important measures need to be taken to prevent an acute illness from developing into? After all, treating a chronic disease is much more complex and time-consuming than stopping an acute process.

Acute bronchitis is an inflammatory process that occurs in the bronchial tree. This is a respiratory disease that can be infectious or allergic in nature.

In contact with

Spreading

Inflammation of the bronchi is very common. Moreover, the number of patients with this diagnosis increases during the season of infectious epidemics and, somewhat less, during the flowering of allergenic plants. Adults get sick a little more often than children, because smokers and those exposed to working conditions unfavorable for the respiratory system are at risk.

Origin of the disease

Acute bronchitis occurs after a patient becomes infected through airborne droplets. Viruses, bacteria, fungi or irritating allergenic particles enter the lungs with saliva or inhaled air. These factors lead to the death of the bronchial epithelium, which causes further inflammatory and atrophic processes.

Causes

There are many reasons contributing to the development of the disease. However, it develops only by inhaling damaging factors, which can be divided into several main groups:

Viruses- flu, colds, rubella, measles and some others;
bacteria- pneumococci, mycoplasma and others;
toxic substances- chlorine, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide;
allergens- dust, plant pollen, fur of some animals, etc.

Symptoms

If the acute stage of the disease is diagnosed, then its symptoms usually last no more than two weeks.

Headache, fatigue, physical weakness- at the beginning of the disease they resemble a picture of a cold;
nonproductive cough in the first days of illness;
chest pain, sore throat - accompanied by a dry cough;
on the third day the cough begins to separate and becomes productive;
Maybe increase in body temperature;
dyspnea- in the presence of obstructive syndrome.

Forms

There are several classifications of this disease.

Due to the occurrence:

Infectious;
chemical;
mixed;

according to the degree of damage to the respiratory system:

Tracheobronchitis - affects the trachea and large bronchi;
medium bronchitis - affects medium-sized bronchi;
bronchiolitis - affects small bronchi and bronchioles;

by type of bronchial dysfunction:

Non-obstructive - pulmonary ventilation is not impaired;
obstructive - accompanied by pulmonary insufficiency.

Pay attention to alarming vital signs - shortness of breath, chest pain, fatigue. Perhaps you have characteristic symptoms.

Only timely assistance will save lives with pneumothorax. what to do at the first signs of this disease.

Diagnostics

Patient Interview- identification of complaints;
general clinical examination- aimed at identifying respiratory symptoms;
microbiological analysis of sputum- to determine the pathogen;
spirography, namely the measurement of forced expiration- to determine bronchial patency;
X-ray or FLG may reveal the response of lung tissue to infection, but will not show specific changes associated with bronchitis.

Differential diagnosis

The general symptoms of acute bronchial inflammation may be similar to or. Differential diagnosis is made through examination by a doctor.

X-rays will help differentiate bronchitis from bronchitis because the latter is visible on an x-ray.

You should also differentiate bronchitis from and. In these cases, when coughing up sputum, streaks of blood may appear.

Treatment

Most often, acute bronchitis is treated at home.

The patient needs semi-bed rest;
plenty of warm drinks - mineral waters or herbal decoctions with anti-inflammatory properties;
- to relieve pain during a dry cough;
foot baths with mustard;
drug therapy:
antitussives- in the initial stage of the disease:
- codeine-containing products;
mucolytics- when sputum appears for better removal:
- The drug ambroxol;
- a drug ;
- acetylcysteine preparation;
antihomotoxic drugs- improve general condition, reduce the manifestations of inflammation:
- Traumeel S;
- mucosa compositum;
antibacterial therapy- indicated only in cases of pronounced infectious symptoms, as well as in the elderly:
- Amoxicillin preparations in combination with or without clavulanic acid;
- antibiotics of the macrolide group - if the causative agent is mycoplasma;
- accelerate the healing process:
- Amiksin;
- Amizon;
- interferon preparations.

Prevention

Prevention is divided into specific and nonspecific.

Nonspecific prevention of acute bronchitis is general measures to increase immunity.

Among them are the following:

Healthy lifestyle;
hardening;
fortified food;
reducing contact with allergens: chemicals in everyday life and in the workplace.

Specific prevention is vaccination:

From influenza - during epidemic seasons;
from pneumococcal infection.

Forecast

Acute bronchitis is a fairly long-term illness. The airways can take a very long time to recover. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out treatment under the supervision of a doctor in order to avoid complications and exclude more serious pathologies.

The acute form of bronchitis often becomes chronic. And prolonged irritation of the bronchial mucosa can cause the development of bronchial asthma.

Acute bronchitis is a disease that needs to be treated as soon as possible. Even if therapy is started in a timely manner, it will last several weeks. When the first symptoms of bronchitis appear, you should seek help from specialists. A phthisiatrician, pulmonologist, and otolaryngologist will help with this.

As a rule, it occurs from exposure to the same pathogens that cause colds and upper respiratory tract infections.

With bronchitis, mucus is secreted into the bronchi. The smallest villi, which normally purify the air, lose mobility in the mucus. If the villi is unable to clean the passing air, then the effect of irritants on the bronchi increases. This leads to a further increase in mucus secretion, which causes the inflammation characteristic of bronchitis. When you cough, you usually produce viscous, yellowish or gray sputum.

Symptoms

It has been established that bronchitis often begins as a general bronchitis, and then the disease is “localized” in the chest.

With inflammation in the cells located in the bronchi, there is an increase in the secretion of viscous mucus, which clogs the airways, leading to difficulty breathing and causing other characteristic symptoms.

A cough occurs as a reaction to the presence of mucus in the bronchi, which must be removed. At bronchitis When coughing, grayish or light yellowish sputum is released. Bronchitis may also be accompanied by pain in the upper chest, which gets worse when coughing.

In acute bronchitis, increased body temperature and wheezing are also observed.

Complications

For most people, acute bronchitis is not dangerous. However, smokers, people who suffer from other lung diseases, or who frequently breathe polluted air have an increased risk of repeated cases of acute bronchitis with a prolonged course and the development of chronic bronchitis.

In case of heart failure, frequent bronchitis with a prolonged course is dangerous.
If you have a cough with sputum streaked with blood or greenish color, consult a doctor as soon as possible, because these may be symptoms of pneumonia.

What can you do

It is recommended to stay at home and stay warm. Drink herbal infusions and decoctions to thin and facilitate mucus separation. or paracetamol can be taken to reduce general discomfort and reduce body temperature.

Maintain indoor air humidity using humidifiers. Breathe in warm, moist air while drinking a hot drink. You can take a steam bath, which helps reduce paroxysmal coughing.

Over-the-counter medications can be used for treatment. Choose an expectorant that improves mucus production. Although a cough may interfere with sleep, avoid taking cough suppressants, which, while reducing cough, interfere with normal sputum production.

If self-treatment does not lead to improvement within a few days, or if you experience severe difficulty breathing or a significant increase in body temperature, you should call a doctor as soon as possible.
In case of repeated cases of acute bronchitis, consultation with a doctor is also required, because this may be a sign of chronic bronchitis, which can cause permanent damage to the lungs.

What can a doctor do?

If breathing is difficult, bronchodilators may be prescribed. Usually after inhalation of these drugs there is rapid relief of breathing. For a bacterial infection, antibiotics should be prescribed.

If pneumonia is suspected, a chest test is prescribed.
Depending on the type and severity of pneumonia, hospitalization may be required.

With outpatient treatment, in most cases, bronchitis resolves within 7-10 days.
The diagnosis of acute bronchitis is usually made based on the main symptoms. If a bacterial infection is suspected, sputum culture may be required.

In most cases, acute bronchitis goes away on its own within about a week. The goal of treatment is to relieve symptoms. Antibiotics are usually not prescribed until the bacterial nature of bronchitis has been established. However, antibiotics may be prescribed as a precaution to prevent secondary bacterial infection if a person suffers from asthma, heart disease or other similar chronic diseases.

Prevention

When coughing, cover your mouth and use only individual utensils to avoid transmitting the infection to others.

To avoid bronchitis:

Do not smoke;
- avoid contact with people who have acute bronchitis or a cold;
- if you work with chemicals or other irritants, wear a special mask;
- if you have bronchial asthma or respiratory allergies, preventive measures acute bronchitis should be discussed with your doctor.

A disease called acute bronchitis from the first days resembles the symptoms of other colds. The person also experiences weakness, increased fatigue, redness and swelling of the mucous membrane of the throat, and other symptoms. However, the sure symptoms of bronchitis are an increase in mucus secretion, accompanied by a severe cough. Treatment of acute bronchitis has its own characteristics and approaches.

There are 2 types of bronchitis:

spicy;
chronic.

Acute bronchitis is considered one of the most common diseases of the human respiratory system.

Acute bronchitis is a severe inflammation of the bronchial mucosa. This disease is characterized by an increase in bronchial secretion, as a result of which the sick person experiences copious sputum production and an obsessive cough. Diffuse inflammation of the bronchi, which is observed with this type of bronchitis, can be cured within 3-4 weeks with the right approach.

The main cause of the development of this disease is considered to be infection. If a person has not previously had pneumonia (pneumonia), then in 90% of cases the cause is considered to be a viral infection (influenza virus, parainfluenza, adenoviruses, respiratory syncytial virus, etc.). The source of the remaining 10% is a bacterial infection (streptococci, staphylococci, pneumococci, Haemophilus influenzae, mycoplasma, chlamydia, etc.).

In some cases, viral infection may be complicated by bacterial agents. In such cases, bronchitis has a mixed etiology, that is, it should be treated for viral and bacterial infections in parallel.

Other reasons that can trigger acute bronchitis include:

complication after influenza and ARVI;
hypothermia of the body, as well as bad weather (these factors can reduce the body’s defenses; elderly people and young children are considered especially sensitive to the development of the disease);
contact with a sick person;
overwork and frequent stress;
presence of focal infection of the nasopharynx;
pulmonary congestion observed in people with heart failure;
bad habits (for example, smoking, which weakens the protective functions of the bronchi; abuse of strong alcoholic beverages also negatively affects the immune system);
unsuitable microclimate (for example, too dry, humid or hot air);
chemical, allergic and infectious agents in the air;
the presence of chronic diseases (for example, bronchial asthma or other chronic lung diseases).

Mechanism of disease development

The air passing to the lungs through the bronchi becomes almost sterile in the human body. This thorough purification of the inhaled air is the result of the filtering function of the nose, the cough reflex and the work of the bronchial microcilia that line the bronchial mucosa. Under certain circumstances, it happens that microorganisms or chemicals enter the bronchi, and this leads to the development of inflammation, accompanied by abundant mucus production and intense coughing.

If the cause of bronchitis is a viral infection, then a rapid development of the inflammatory process is observed, in which the upper layer of the walls of the bronchi is predominantly affected. This phenomenon is called acute bronchitis. Most often it is observed in children, since they are more susceptible to ARVI than others.

If the factor that provokes the appearance of this disease has a long-term effect on the human body (for example, tobacco smoke, chronic bacterial infection or dust in the work area), then the inflammatory process spreads slowly, affecting all layers of the bronchi. This leads to their narrowing and deformation. This phenomenon is called chronic or chronic obstructive bronchitis, which is much more difficult to cure.

Symptoms of bronchitis

The clinical manifestations of the disease directly depend on the cause of its appearance, but most often we are talking about acute respiratory infections. Therefore, acute bronchitis includes the following symptoms:

cough (with a viral etiology of acute bronchitis in the first days of the disease, the cough is obsessive and dry. For this reason, many children may experience vomiting and restless sleep. If a bacterial infection subsequently occurs, the symptoms of the cough begin to change: it becomes wet, white discharge occurs - greenish sputum);
increased body temperature (depending on the cause of acute respiratory infections, the temperature can fluctuate between 38.5-40 degrees and above);
runny nose and pharyngitis due to ARVI;
general malaise and weakness (sometimes shortness of breath);
other symptoms resembling acute respiratory infections.

With an independent bacterial infection, the following signs of acute bronchitis are observed:

slight increase in body temperature;
moist cough;
headache;
feeling broken.

Treatment of the disease

When the body temperature rises, the patient is advised to adhere to bed rest (this is especially true for people who prefer to endure the disease “on their feet”). People who smoke are strictly prohibited from smoking tobacco, as this can only aggravate the symptoms and the general course of the disease.

Drug treatment of acute bronchitis involves eliminating symptoms. Antipyretic and anti-inflammatory painkillers are used. In case of simultaneous damage to the larynx and nasopharynx, aerosol preparations are used that have a local anesthetic, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effect.

To quickly remove sputum from the body, drugs with mucolytic and expectorant effects are used (for example, ACC, lazolvan, etc.)

The parallel use of vitamins will help to cure bronchitis faster, among which the main place is occupied by vitamins C (dosage in the amount of 0.1-0.5 g) and A (3 mg) 3 times a day.

If there is no improvement in the condition after using symptomatic therapy, and the appearance of purulent sputum is observed, then antibacterial drugs are started (their action is aimed at destroying pathogenic bacterial microflora). Broad-spectrum antibiotics are predominantly used (for example, semi-synthetic penicillins, tetracyclines, fluoroquinolones, biseptol, augmentin and others).

If the inflammatory process becomes protracted even with the use of antibiotics, it is recommended to additionally treat it with aerosol administration of prodigiosan. If obstructive syndrome is observed, then bronchodilators are prescribed, for example, anticholinergics, drugs of the theophylline group, sympathomimetics.

Symptoms can be relieved by drinking plenty of warm drinks, for example, hot tea with lemon or raspberry jam. Teas made from dried raspberry and linden leaves will also be beneficial. It is recommended to drink heated alkaline water, chest and diaphoretic preparations.

Unpleasant sensations in the bronchi and other symptoms can be reduced by mustard plasters applied to the tracheal area. Steam inhalations using essential oils of eucalyptus, pine and mint will also be useful. If bronchitis has a protracted course, it is recommended to use inhalations with mineral and sea water.

For rehabilitation purposes, the use of various physiotherapeutic methods (for example, electrophoresis, ionotherapy, etc.) is indicated.

Using massage helps make coughing less frequent, but it should be done in the absence of high fever.

After recovery, it is recommended to ensure that the person stays in a climatic sanatorium. Equally important is rehabilitation using special methods of therapeutic physical culture (circuit training, breathing and sound exercises).

Prevention of acute bronchitis

The following actions can be identified as the main preventive measures:

rejection of bad habits;
use special masks when working with chemicals;
protect yourself from hypothermia and prolonged stay in a damp room;
adhere to a healthy lifestyle (for example, do breathing exercises, hardening);
maintain proper nutrition;
try to be outdoors more often;
do not contact sick people.