Don't needlessly suffer with a barking cough! Treatments for chronic bronchitis are now available to help slow the progression of the condition, prevent additional complications, and relieve symptoms. Bronchitis develops when there is irritation or inflammation of the bronchial tubes, which carry air to and from the lungs. When these airways get irritated, thick mucus forms and plugs up the tubes, causing a tightness in the chest, trouble breathing, and coughing that produces mucus. To be considered chronic, the resulting coughing lasts longer than three months. The top three treatments for chronic bronchitis include bronchodilators, oxygen therapy, and pulmonary rehabilitation. Read on to find out what you need to know about treating chronic bronchitis.
This condition is most often caused by cigarette smoking. However, breathing in other irritants can also contribute to the development of this disease, including dust, aerosol products, and chemical fumes.
While it doesn't completely heal the condition, it is essential to stop smoking as soon as possible. The more smoke is breathed in throughout the day, the more the lungs get irritated. To stop smoking is to allow the lungs to begin healing, resulting in better breathing and less coughing.
Also known as copd inhalers, these medications are taken orally or as a spray with an inhaler, with the purpose of relaxing the air passages, allowing them to open. Through this process, the symptoms are relieved, giving patients a break from coughing and wheezing.
Steriods are popular copd medications to treat chronic bronchitis. These medications are generally inhaled as a spray via inhaler, and they can offer relief from the symptoms of chronic bronchitis by decreasing inflammation in the airways. Steroids can also be given in pill form.
While there are no specific vaccines to help the lungs heal, it is important for patients to receive an annual flu shot as well as a pneumonia shot every five to seven years to prevent unnecessary and dangerous infections.
The most common surgery used to treat chronic bronchitis is called the lung volume reduction surgery. During this procedure, small pieces of damaged lung tissue are removed to help provide relief from symptoms.
It can be difficult for patients with chronic bronchitis to breathe freely on their own. When this symptom develops, supplemental oxygen can be given to treat severe cases, providing some relief from symptoms. Once oxygen is prescribed, it is best used on a regular basis to get the most benefit.
The improvement of an individual's overall health can go a long way toward halting the progression of chronic bronchitis. Pulmonary rehabilitation includes addressing health needs, including nutrition counseling, help to quit smoking, beginning an exercise routine, and education about improving each patient's quality of life. All of these steps can help relieve the symptoms of chronic bronchitis.