Chronic Bronchitis

Chronic Bronchitis: Introduction

Chronic bronchitis is a chronic, ongoing, progressive disease of the lower respiratory tract in the lungs. It is one type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The hallmark of chronic bronchitis is a continuing loose, wet cough that produces excessive amounts of mucus.

It is a seriously disabling disease with the potential for major complications and can be fatal, especially when paired with emphysema, another serious respiratory disease and form of COPD. According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, COPD is a major cause of disability, and it's the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S.

Chronic bronchitis develops most often as a result of smoking, but can also occur from long-term inhalation of other irritants into the lungs. Chronic bronchitis most often develops when irritants are breathed into the respiratory tract and down into the bronchial tubes, small hollow passageways that branch off the main airway from the mouth and nose. Normally, air and needed oxygen pass through the bronchioles into the alveoli, tiny hollow sack-like structures in the lungs where oxygen is absorbed in to the bloodstream. When air is mixed with smoke or irritants, it can damage the lungs and their ability to take in enough oxygen. Long-term inhalation of irritants results in chronic irritation and inflammation of the bronchioles leading to excessive production of mucus, and thickening of the bronchial tubes, resulting in obstruction of airflow into the lungs.

Eventually, the lungs become scarred, and a chronic, ongoing cough develops. The excessive mucus production and inflammation of chronic bronchitis also creates a perfect breeding ground in the lungs for bacteria and viruses that can cause severe, even life threatening infections, such as pneumonia. Infections of the lungs can also further irritate and exacerbate (worsen) chronic bronchitis.

The longer the lungs are exposed to smoke or irritants, the more likely it is that you will develop chronic bronchitis. Chronic bronchitis can affect people of all ages and it is more common in women than in men.

Symptoms of Chronic Bronchitis

• Persistent cough
• Productive cough
• Cough with sputum
• Persistent winter cough that disappears in summer - an early symptom
• Excessive airway mucus secretion
• more symptoms...»

See full list of 20 symptoms of Chronic Bronchitis

Home Diagnostic Testing

Home medical testing related to Chronic Bronchitis:

• Smoking-Related Disorders: Home Testing:
  • Nicotine Home Tests
  • Home Lung Function Tests
  • Asthma-Related Home Testing
• Lung & Respiratory Health Tests:
  • Asthma-Related Home Test Kits
  • Home Lung Function Test Kits
• Cold & Flu: Home Testing:
  • Home Fever Tests
  • Home Ear Infection Test Kits
  • Home Flu Tests
  • Home Strep A Tests
• more tests...»

Chronic Bronchitis: Complications

Review possible medical complications related to Chronic Bronchitis:

• Acute bronchitis
• Bronchopneumonia (type of Pneumonia)
• Bronchiecstasis
• Cor pulmonale
• Emphysema
• High mortality rate
• more complications...»

Medical Textbooks Online about Chronic Bronchitis

Book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Wrongly Diagnosed with Chronic Bronchitis?

• Misdiagnosis of Chronic Bronchitis
• Failure to diagnose Chronic Bronchitis
• Hidden causes of Chronic Bronchitis (possibly wrongly diagnosed)
• Undiagnosed: Chronic Bronchitis

Chronic Bronchitis: Self Assessment Tools

• Exercise -- Self Assessment Tools
• Smoking -- Self Assessment Tools
• Chronic Lung Disorders -- Self Assessment Tools
• more tools...»

Chronic Bronchitis: Medical Mistakes

• COPD -- Health Mistakes
• Emphysema -- Health Mistakes
• Asthma -- Health Mistakes
• Allergies -- Health Mistakes
• more mistakes...»

Chronic Bronchitis: Marketplace Products, Discounts & Offers

Products, offers and promotion categories available for Chronic Bronchitis:

• Asthma
• Allergies
• Flu (influenza)
• more product offers...»

Chronic Bronchitis: Undiagnosed Conditions

Commonly undiagnosed diseases in related medical categories:

• Chronic Respiratory Disorders that may be Undiagnosed:
  • Asthma -- Undiagnosed
  • Allergies -- Undiagnosed
  • COPD -- Undiagnosed
  • Emphysema -- Undiagnosed
  • Chronic Bronchitis -- Undiagnosed
  • Lung Cancer -- Undiagnosed
  • Sinusitis -- Undiagnosed
  • Cystic Fibrosis -- Undiagnosed
  • Obstructive Sleep Apnea -- Undiagnosed
• more undiagnosed conditions...»

Misdiagnosis and Chronic Bronchitis

Sinusitis is overdiagnosed: There is a tendency to give a diagnosis of sinusitis, when the condition is really a harmless complication of another infection, such as a common cold....read more »

Whooping cough often undiagnosed: Although most children in the Western world have been immunized against whooping cough (also called "pertussis"), this protection wears off after about 15 years. Thus, any teen or adult with a...read more »

Chronic lung diseases hard to diagnose: Some of the chronic lung diseases are difficult to diagnose. Even the well-knowns conditions such as asthma or lung cancer often fail to be diagnosed early. Some of...read more »

Read more about Misdiagnosis and Chronic Bronchitis

Chronic Bronchitis: Research Doctors & Specialists

Research related physicians and medical specialists:

• Ear, Nose & Throat Specialists:
  • Otolaryngology (Ear, Nose & Throat)
  • Pediatric Otolaryngology (Child Ear, Nose & Throat Specialist)
  • Otology / Neurotology (Ear/Hearing Specialists)
  • Plastic Surgery within the Head & Neck
• Lung Health Specialists (Pulmonologist):
  • Pulmonology (Lung Health Specialists)
  • Pediatric Pulmonology (Child Lung Health)
• more specialists...»

Other doctor, physician and specialist research services:

• Rate Your Doctor Online
• Research Your Doctor Online
• Review Patient Surveys About Your Doctor
• Research local specialists including ratings, affiliations, and sanctions.

Hospitals & Clinics: Chronic Bronchitis

Research quality ratings and patient safety measures for medical facilities in specialties related to Chronic Bronchitis:

• Lung Health (Pulmonology) -- Hospital Quality Ratings
• more hospital ratings...»

Hospital & Clinic quality ratings » »

Choosing the Best Hospital: More general information, not necessarily in relation to Chronic Bronchitis, on hospital performance and surgical care quality:

• 50 Best Hospitals Report
• Outstanding Patient Experinece Award Winning Hospitals
• Women's Health Best Hospitals
• Patient Safety
• Hospital Quality and Clinical Excellence Study (2009)

Chronic Bronchitis: Rare Types

Rare types of diseases and disorders in related medical categories:

• Chronic Respiratory Disorders -- Rare Types:
  • Asthma -- Rare Types
  • Allergies -- Rare Types
  • COPD -- Rare Types
  • Emphysema -- Rare Types
  • Chronic Bronchitis -- Rare Types
  • Lung Cancer -- Rare Types
  • Sinusitis -- Rare Types
  • Cystic Fibrosis -- Rare Types
  • Obstructive Sleep Apnea -- Rare Types
• more rare diseases...»

Causes of Chronic Bronchitis

• COPD
• Lung cancer - can cause recurrent bronchitis
• Heart disease
• Klinefelter syndrome, variants - chronic bronchitis
• Yellow nail syndrome - chronic bronchitis
• more causes...»

See full list of 20 causes of Chronic Bronchitis

More information about causes of Chronic Bronchitis:

• Underlying causes of Chronic Bronchitis
• Chronic Bronchitis as a complication caused by other conditions
• Chronic Bronchitis as a symptom
• Medical news summaries relating to Causes of Chronic Bronchitis

Treatments for Chronic Bronchitis

• Quit smoking
• Healthy diet
• Avoid triggers of attacks
• Avoid dust
• Medications
• more treatments...»

See full list of 14 treatments for Chronic Bronchitis

Latest Treatments for Chronic Bronchitis

• Pulmonary rehabilitation
• Vaccinations
• Hydration
• Lung reduction surgery
• Lung transplantation
• more treatments...»

See full list of 15 latest treatments for Chronic Bronchitis

News Archives for Chronic Bronchitis

Medical news articles related to Chronic Bronchitis include:

• Genetic Factors for Smoking Boost Chronic Bronchitis Risk
• Study Links Snoring to Chronic Bronchitis
• Healthier Lifestyle Can Cut COPD Symptoms
• Researchers Suspect Genetic Link to COPD
• Inhaled Corticosteroids Boost Pneumonia Risk in COPD
• Airway Transplant Aided by Stem Cells a Medical First
• more health news...»

Source: HealthDay News

Evidence Based Medicine Research for Chronic Bronchitis

Medical research articles related to Chronic Bronchitis include:

• What is the role of steroids in upper respiratory tract infection especially bronchitis?
• Meta-analysis: effectiveness of drugs for preventing contrast-induced nephropathy.
• Guidelines for the administration of influenza vaccine in children with egg allergy
• Management of Acute Bronchitis
• Short-course antibiotic treatment in acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis and COPD: a meta-analysis of double-blind studies
• Recommendations for the assessment and management of cough in children
• more research...»

Click here to find more evidence-based articles on the TRIP Database

Videos for Chronic Bronchitis

Patient Surveys for Chronic Bronchitis

• Patient Profile Survey
  Take Survey  View Results
• Survey about the symptoms of your Chronic Bronchitis
  Take Survey  View Results

Prognosis for Chronic Bronchitis

More about prognosis of Chronic Bronchitis

Reseach about Chronic Bronchitis

Visit our research pages for current research about Chronic Bronchitis treatments.

Clinical Trials for Chronic Bronchitis

The US based website ClinicalTrials.gov lists information on both federally and privately supported clinical trials using human volunteers.

Some of the clinical trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for Chronic Bronchitis include:

• A Blinded Study Comparing the Safety and Efficacy of a Fully Human Anti-IL8 Monoclonal Antibody (ABX-IL8) to Placebo in Patients With Chronic Bronchitis and COPD - This study has been completed (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - ABX-IL8
• A Study of the Safety and Effectiveness of Levofloxacin Compared With Cefaclor in the Treatment of Adults With Chronic Bronchitis Experiencing Rapid Onset of Worsening of Symptoms Caused by Bacteria - This study is no longer recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - levofloxacin
• A Study of the Safety and Effectiveness of Oral Levofloxacin Compared With Cefuroxime Axetil in the Treatment of Adults With Persistent Bronchitis Experiencing Rapid Onset of Severe Worsening of Symptoms Caused by Bacteria - This study is no longer recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - levofloxacin
• A Study of the Effectiveness and Safety of High Dose, Short-Course Levofloxacin in the Treatment of Acute Bacterial Exacerbation (Worsening) of Chronic Bronchitis. - This study is no longer recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - levofloxacin, azithromycin, amoxicillin/clavulanate
• Standard Vs. Biofilm Susceptibility Testing in CF - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - IV amikacin,PO azithromycin,IV ceftazidime,PO ciprofloxacin,IV meropenem,IV piperacillin-tazobactam,IV ticarcillin-clavulanate,IV tobramycin
• more trials...»

See full list of 37 Clinical Trials for Chronic Bronchitis

Statistics for Chronic Bronchitis

• Medical statistics for Chronic Bronchitis
• Prevalence and incidence statistics for Chronic Bronchitis
• Death and Mortality statistics for Chronic Bronchitis
• Society statistics for Chronic Bronchitis

Chronic Bronchitis: Broader Related Topics

• Respiratory conditions
• Lung conditions
• Respiratory infections
• Bronchitis
• Acute Bronchitis
• Chronic lower respiratory diseases
• more types...»

Types of Chronic Bronchitis

Curable Types of Chronic Bronchitis

Possibly curable types of Chronic Bronchitis include:

• Smoking induced Chronic bronchitis
• Occupational exposure induced Chronic bronchitis
• Air pollution induced Chronic bronchitis
• more types...»

Rare Types of Chronic Bronchitis:

Rare types of Chronic Bronchitis include:

• Alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency induced Chronic bronchitis
• Cooking smoke induced Chronic bronchitis
• Repeated lung infection induced Chronic bronchitis
• Silicosis induced Chronic bronchitis
• more types...»

Stories from Users Related to Chronic Bronchitis

• What Happened To Me? How DId I get COPD?
• Wheezing and Chronic Bronchitis
• Bronchitis
• Asthma and Chronic Bronchitis
• Bronchitis or just bad asthma?
• copd
• I had bronchitis!
• Bronchitis?/Pnenonia?
• COAD vs COPD
• Bronchitis like symptoms and Fatigue
• What is the best weather and temperature for COPD sufferers?
• Raw sensation in airways + phlegm, 6 months now - help!

Related forums and medical stories:

• Respiratory Conditions (65)
  • Strange long lasting cough
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  • Sinisus Pain, Please Help
  • Recurring bronchitis
  • More user stories

User Interactive Forums

Read about other experiences, ask a question about Chronic Bronchitis, or answer someone else's question, on our message boards:

• I can not get a diagnosis. Please help.
• Tell us your medical story.
• Share your misdiagnosis story.
• What is the best treatment for this?
• See all the forums.

Article Excerpts about Chronic Bronchitis

Chronic bronchitis, one of the two major diseases of the lung grouped under COPD, is diagnosed when a patient has excessive airway mucus secretion leading to a persistent, productive cough. An individual is considered to have chronic bronchitis if cough and sputum are present on most days for a minimum of 3 months for at least 2 successive years or for 6 months during 1 year. In chronic bronchitis, there also may be narrowing of the large and small airways making it more difficult to move air in and out of the lungs. An estimated 12.1 million Americans have chronic bronchitis. (Source: excerpt from Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema: NHLBI)

Definitions of Chronic Bronchitis:

Chronic, irreversible obstruction of air flow from the lungs. - (Source - Diseases Database)

A form of bronchitis characterized by excess production of sputum leading to a chronic cough and obstruction of air flow - (Source - WordNet 2.1)