Bronchitis

Over the counter expectorant cough medicines can be effective. Try the ones with Guaifenesin as an ingredient, which loosens congestion, allowing secretions to be more easily cleared from your lungs and bronchial tubes. Take deep breaths to aerate your lungs. Cold air humidifiers can also be helpful. Drink plenty of fluids, consider Vitamin C supplements if you are not getting good nutrition from your diet of fruits and vegetables. Avoid dairy products.

If the cough persists or you get a fever over 101 degrees Fahrenheit, dizziness, shortness of breath or chest pain, contact a medical professional without delay for advice.

Be sure to cover your mouth when you cough, using a tissue, not your hand. If you do not have a tissue, cough into the "crook" of your elbow held closely to your body to catch the germs.

Do not smoke. Stay home from work or school and don't go into public except to seek medical advice or medications.

See below in the related question area for more information on protecting yourself and others from spreading germs.

Cortisone suppresses the immune system, thus reducing inflammation and pain and swelling in the body.

Bronchitis is inflammation of the mucous membranes of the bronchi, the airways that carry airflow from the trachea into the lungs.

Treatment for bronchitis is mostly symptomatic.

Bronchitis describes inflammation of the bronchial tubes (inflammation = itis). The inflammation causes swelling of the lining of these breathing tubes, narrowing the tubes and promoting secretion of inflammatory fluid.

Acute bronchitis describes the inflammation of the bronchi usually caused by a viral infection, although bacteria and chemicals also may cause acute bronchitis. Bronchiolitis is a term that describes inflammation of the smaller bronchi referred to as bronchioles. In infants, this is usually caused by respiratory syncytial viruses (RSV), and affects the small bronchi and bronchioles more than the large. In adults, other viruses as well as some bacteria can cause bronchiolitis and often manifest as a persistent cough at times productive of small plugs of mucus.

Acute bronchitis is as mentioned above, is a cough that begins suddenly usually due to a viral infection involving the larger airways. Colds (also known as viral upper airway infections) often involve the throat (pharyngitis) and nasal passages, and at times the larynx (resulting in a diminished hoarse voice, also known aslaryngitis). Symptoms can include a runny nose, nasal stuffiness, and sore throat.Croup usually occurs in infants and young children and involves the voice box and upper large airways (the trachea and large bronchi).

Chronic bronchitis for research purposes is defined as a daily cough with sputum production for at least three months, two years in a row. Chronic bronchitis is a diagnosis usually made based on clinical findings of a long term persistent cough usually associated with tobacco abuse. From a pathologic standpoint, characteristic microscopic findings involving inflammatory cells in seen in airway tissue samples make the diagnosis. When referring to pulmonary function testing, a decrease in the ratio of the volume of airflow at 1 second when compared to total airflow is less than 70%. This confirms the presence of obstructive airways disease of which chronic bronchitis is one type. Certain findings can be seen on imaging studies (chest X-ray, and CT or MRI of the lungs) to suggest the presence of chronic bronchitis; usually this involves an appearance of thickened tubes.

• Acute bronchitis occurs most often due to a viral infection that causes the inner lining of the bronchial tubes to become inflamed and undergo the changes that occur with any inflammation in the body. Common viruses include the rhinovirus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and the influenza virus.
• Bacteria can also cause bronchitis (a few examples include, Mycoplasma, Pneumococcus, Klebsiella, Haemophilus).
• Chemical irritants (for example, tobacco smoke, gastric reflux, solvents) can cause acute bronchitis.

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/wegener_granulomatosis/hic_wegeners_granulomatosis.aspx

What is Wegener's granulomatosis?

Wegener's granulomatosis is a rare disease of uncertain cause. It is characterized by inflammation in a variety of tissues, including blood vessels (vasculitis). Inflammation damages vital organs of the body.

Wegener's granulomatosis primarily affects the upper respiratory tract [sinuses, nose, trachea (upper air tube)], lungs, and kidneys. Other organ systems that can be affected by the disease include the nervous system, ears, eyes, heart, and skin.

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms of Wegener's granulomatosis and their severity vary among patients. General signs of the disease may include:

• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss
• Fever
• Fatigue

Most patients first notice symptoms in the respiratory tract. Symptoms may include:

• Persistent runny nose (also called rhinorrhea) or the formation of nasal crusts and sores
• Nasal or facial pain
• Nose bleeds or unusual nasal discharge, caused by inflammation of the nose or sinuses
• Cough that might include bloody phlegm caused by upper airway or lower airway (lung) inflammation
• Chest discomfort
• Middle ear inflammation (also called otitis media), pain, or hearing loss
• Voice change, wheezing, or shortness of breath caused by inflammation of the trachea

Other possible symptoms include:

• Eye inflammation
• Joint pain (arthritis) or muscle pain
• Rashes or skin sores
• Kidney inflammation*

*Although kidney inflammation is common, it is not usually associated with symptoms, such as pain.

How is it diagnosed?

Wegener's granulomatosis has symptoms similar to a number of other disorders, which may make it difficult to diagnose. However, for the most effective and successful treatment, early diagnosis is critical.

It is the combination of symptoms, results of physical examinations, laboratory tests, X-rays, and sometimes a biopsy (sample) of affected tissue (skin, nose, sinus, lung, or kidney) that together prove the diagnosis of Wegener's granulomatosis. Following treatment, these factors are also critical in judging whether the disease is active or in remission.

A positive blood test for antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) can support a suspected diagnosis of the disease. However, this blood test does not by itself prove the diagnosis of Wegener's granulomatosis or determine disease activity.

Other tests that influence a doctor's judgment of disease activity include:

• Measures of anemia (red blood cell count)
• Sedimentation rate (the speed in which blood cells settle in a vertical glass tube) Urinalysis
• Chest or sinus X-rays

Sometimes the lungs may become abnormal even though there are no symptoms such as cough or shortness of breath. Therefore, it is important to periodically have lung X-rays if you are diagnosed with Wegener's granulomatosis - even if you don't have any symptoms of lung disease.