If bronchitis has already begun, then it is best to treat it under the supervision of a qualified doctor, otherwise the risk of developing various complications is high. In addition, the disease from an acute form can easily turn into a chronic one, the treatment of bronchitis will be much more difficult than it could be.
General information
Bronchitis is an inflammatory process that affects the organs of the respiratory system and manifests itself as a strong cough. There are two main forms: chronic, acute. The first is diagnosed if the cough is fixed for a quarter of a year or more. If the disease is short-lived, but recurs with disturbing frequency, it is called acute. There are many cases where bronchitis returns every couple of months, but lasts a week or a little more. This is more common in people with weakened immune systems.
The treatment of bronchitis is chosen based on the form found in the patient. Chronic and acute types require different approaches, since the causesdiseases are different. Another type of bronchitis is called obstructive. It is accompanied by swelling of the respiratory system, coughing and inability to breathe, the patient suffocates.
Where did the trouble come from?
Because the causes of the disease largely determine which remedies should be used to treat bronchitis, it is reasonable to consider the provoking factors. Most often in the body there is an infectious agent, a virus, a bacterium. Possible infection with atypical pathogenic microscopic life forms - mycoplasma, fungi, chlamydia. The most common picture of the disease is a viral infection, against which pathogenic bacteria are activated. More often bronchitis is diagnosed in autumn, winter, during epidemics of colds and flu.
In many ways, the risk of infection depends on the person's immunity, the local defenses of the respiratory system. You are more likely to need treatment for acute bronchitis if you live in polluted, very dry air. Increase the danger of pathological processes bad habits. Smoking has the strongest effect. In the chronic form, the disease can be provoked by frequent exposure to cold air, production factors, and tobacco smoke. The latter applies not only to smokers, but also to people who are forced to be nearby. Relapses of infectious lesions of the respiratory organs, weakness of the immune system - all this provokes bronchitis, including the chronic form.
How to suspect the disease? Bronchitis symptoms
Treatment is needed if a person coughs constantly. When ill, it is possiblewet and dry cough. If the pathology is provoked by a virus, at first the patient coughs slightly, gradually the character changes to a productive, wet one. This indicates the development of a bacterial infection. Acute bronchitis is accompanied by fever, weakness, the patient does not feel well. As medical statistics show, in adulthood, mostly patients prefer not to take sick leave because of such a disease, but suffer pathology “on their feet”. This provokes a severe course, initiates obstruction processes.
You can understand that treatment of chronic bronchitis is necessary if a person constantly coughs, and physical activity quickly causes shortness of breath. During exacerbations, the symptoms become brighter.
What to do?
People used to think that there is nothing wrong with the symptoms of bronchitis in adults. Many postpone treatment "until better times", hoping that the disease will exhaust itself. They turn to doctors when it becomes completely unbearable, and the boss at work strongly recommends taking a sick leave so as not to spread the infection among colleagues. For some reason, it is generally accepted that bronchitis does not pose a serious danger. In fact, this is a delusion, because the disease can easily cause numerous complications. It is necessary to trust her treatment to a qualified doctor who prescribes tests to identify an infectious agent. Based on the data obtained during technological research, they decide how to deal with infection.
Needremember that coughing does not always require treatment for bronchitis in adults. The symptom may indicate another disease, even more severe and dangerous. If you start to worry about coughing, it is wise to make an appointment with a therapist. In addition to him, help will be provided by a pulmonologist - a doctor specializing in diseases of the respiratory system. At the appointment, the doctor will examine the patient, collect information about the course of the pathology, listen to the lungs, bronchi. If you suspect bronchitis, you will have to donate blood, sputum, undergo an x-ray to exclude tuberculosis, pneumonia. If the disease recurs frequently, a check should be made for the presence of an atypical infectious agent. In the obstructive form, spirography is prescribed, checking how large the lung tidal volume is.
Acute form: what to do?
Treatment of bronchitis begins with the choice of the optimal diet, the appointment of a regimen and the selection of medications to relieve pronounced symptoms. Until the fever subsides, you should stay in bed, rest, sleep. The patient is recommended to drink a lot, eat only light meals, use mineral water with an alkaline composition. If a bacterial infection is detected, antimicrobial drugs are prescribed. With the viral nature of the disease, no special drug treatment is prescribed, since it is extremely difficult to determine which pathogen caused the disease.
Since the process is always accompanied by inflammation, it is necessary to prescribe drugs that stop it. Treatment of bronchitis in adults involves the use of drugs,produced on fenspiride. The most famous drugs: "Sirespal", "Fenspiride hydrochloride", "Eladon". To alleviate the patient's condition, drugs are prescribed that facilitate the discharge of sputum. The choice of expectorants on the pharmacy shelves is large, and the doctor recommends a specific name, assessing the patient's condition. If the pathology is accompanied by shortness of breath, Eufillin is prescribed. To bring down the high fever, you should use antipyretic drugs.
Chronicle: what to do?
Treatment of chronic bronchitis during an exacerbation is in many ways similar to the method described above. After stabilization of the patient's condition, you should regularly do gymnastics, harden. The doctor will write a referral for physiotherapy, choosing procedures in accordance with the needs of the body. If possible, it is worth undergoing treatment in a sanatorium or spending some time at a resort for patients with pathologies of the respiratory system. Chronic bronchitis imposes an absolute ban on smoking. If possible, you should change your place of work so as not to encounter harmful external factors, chemicals, and also change your lifestyle so as not to breathe in smokers' tobacco smoke.
Treatment of bronchitis with folk remedies at home, as many believe, involves the use of steam inhalations, mustard plasters and cans. This is a persistent delusion - such measures are not only meaningless, but also dangerous for the patient, especially during a fever. Nebulizers come to the rescue, special decoctions of herbs, the composition of which is selected taking into accountneeds of patients with bronchitis. Mineral water with high alkalinity is an indispensable medicine for such a pathology. True, the mineral water itself will not show a really good effect - it is necessary to combine this affordable remedy with drug therapy prescribed by the doctor on the basis of tests.
The best way to get well is not to get sick
To avoid the need for treatment of bronchitis, you should change your habits, introduce preventive measures into everyday life. It is important to increase the body's defenses, activate the immune system. To do this, the diet is enriched with vitamins, as needed, special complexes containing minerals, trace elements, and vitamins are used for food. By practicing gymnastics, hardening, eating right, spending time in the fresh air, a person maintains a normal immune system, which means that the risk of infection is reduced. During a period of particular probability of getting sick, it is reasonable to use funds to increase local immunity - they are available in any modern pharmacy.
To avoid the need for treatment of bronchitis in adults, it is wise to get vaccinated when the epidemic period approaches. It is completely free and helps to improve the body's defenses. In addition, it is reasonable to change the situation in everyday life - to keep the room where a person spends most of the time clean, to put a humidifier. It is important to follow the rules of personal hygiene with the utmost care.
Acute form: important aspects
Only then the therapy will be effective when an integrated approach toelimination of the disease. It is necessary to simultaneously maintain the body's defenses, eliminate microbial and viral infection, and restore bronchial patency. It is important to identify harmful factors and completely eliminate them. The classic treatment for bronchitis is antibiotics, and the success of the event is determined by the passage of the full course of the drug. It is impossible to abandon therapy at the first signs of improvement - the disease may return in a complicated form, and the microflora will become resistant to the drug. If the doctor prescribed a remedy for a seven-day course, all these days you need to use the medication according to the instructions. Only responsible treatment helps prevent the transition from acute to chronic form - and it is much more difficult to cope with it.
To stop the activity of pathological microscopic life forms, antimicrobial drugs, sulfonamides are used. Usually, the treatment of bronchitis in adults is carried out using vitamin complexes. Retinol, ascorbic acid and B vitamins are considered especially important. Only antimicrobial drugs cannot eliminate spasms, return bronchial patency, so compounds that can expand the passages of the organ should be used. Hot foot baths should be done regularly from home remedies. To relieve cough, the patient is prescribed a hot drink - tea or milk.
Drugs: appearances and passwords
The most difficult thing is the treatment of bronchitis in children, because at a tender age not all drugs are allowed. To minimize the negative effects of therapy, it is important to select a program at the reception.a qualified doctor who knows all the features of the use of different groups of medicines. Quite often, children are prescribed macrolides, which are considered relatively safe. On the pharmacy shelves, they are presented under the names "Azithromycin", "Macropen".
The doctor may recommend home treatment of bronchitis with a course of antimicrobial agents from the penicillin group. Augmentin, Amoxiclav have a good reputation. Often give out prescriptions for "Amoxil", "Ospamox". Help with bronchitis and fluoroquinolones, presented in pharmacies under the names "Levofloxacin", "Norfloxacin". Finally, in case of microbial infection of the respiratory system, funds from the group of cephalosporins are prescribed. The most popular drugs are Cefix, Cifadox. Often, doctors advise choosing Cefazolin or Ceftriaxone. All of these medicines can be used at home, but strictly in accordance with the instructions and only if the doctor prescribed just such a drug. It should be remembered that allergic reactions are possible, side effects, the risk of which is much higher when trying to choose the right drug for yourself.
What are there?
The medicines described above are presented in different forms of release. If adults are more often prescribed tablets or injections, then when symptoms of bronchitis appear in children, treatment involves the use of antimicrobial syrups or suspensions. Dosage, duration of the course are selected by the attending doctor. The doctor evaluates information from laboratory tests, the conditionpatient, tolerability of different groups of drugs. Even if the symptomatology completely disappears before the recommended duration, the medication is continued.
Probiotics and prebiotics are prescribed to relieve the negative symptoms of antimicrobial use. These funds allow you to normalize the intestinal microflora, prevent diarrhea. Of the most famous, it is worth mentioning the compositions of "Linex", "Bifiform". Taking such drugs, the patient will feel better. Sometimes the doctor additionally recommends taking a course of medicines that restore the functionality of the liver. Known drugs: Karsil, Darsil. They help reduce the burden associated with the toxic effects of antibiotics on the body. This is especially true with prolonged treatment.
Folk methods in the fight against bronchitis
Treatment of bronchitis with folk remedies has proven itself well. It is safe, combined with traditional medical approaches, and effective. One of the famous recipes is based on marshmallow root. The product is combined with chamomile, wild rosemary in equal amounts, poured with boiling water: a glass for a couple of tablespoons. The mixture is insisted on a water bath for at least half an hour and used as food in a tablespoon. The drug helps to relieve sputum.
Another popular recipe is based on coltsfoot. For one part of the plant and the same amount of plantain, take three times more licorice root and two parts of violet. A glass of water is boiled for a couple of tablespoons, the liquid is mixed with grass and insisted on water for half an hour, after which it is removed,allow to cool and express the liquid.
Marshmallow rhizomes can be paired with licorice root and coltsfoot. For four shares of the first component, they take half as much as the other two, add one more part of dried dill seeds. The medicine is prepared in two stages. First, the althea rhizomes are infused for an hour in half a glass of cold water, after which they prepare a water bath and put a container on it with half a glass of boiling water and other components. Ready liquids are mixed and used for food. Dosage - a quarter cup. It is recommended to heat the infusion to a comfortable temperature before use, but do not make it too hot.
Herbs & Recipes: What else to try?
For bronchitis, a mixture of coltsfoot, dried plantain leaves and primrose inflorescences will benefit. All components are taken in equal proportions, field horsetail is mixed in (a portion of horsetail is one and a half times more than a share of any other herb). Boil a glass of water for a couple of tablespoons and let it brew for at least half an hour. For maximum effectiveness, the product is prepared in a water bath, after which it is removed and allowed to cool naturally, then the resulting medicine is decanted. It is recommended to use it in food for a third of a glass after a meal twice - in the morning and in the evening. Before taking the herbal preparation, warm it up slightly so that the temperature is comfortable.
For two parts of plantain, snowdrop, coltsfoot take half as much mint and anise, all herbs are mixed together and prepared as described in the previous paragraph. The finished product helps to stopinflammatory processes, differs in expectorant action. Recommended for use shortly after a meal in the amount of half a glass. Frequency - up to four times daily until the symptoms of bronchitis are completely gone.
Reliable and safe
One of the popular methods for eliminating bronchitis is Icelandic moss infused in boiling water. Take one cup of liquid per teaspoon. The product is similar to tea, intended for consumption in the evenings, shortly before bedtime, once a day. The infusion should be hot, but not scalding. For maximum effect, you can sweeten the drink with natural honey.
Another recipe came to us from Siberia, effective for both bronchitis and coughing, provoked by some other factors. The original component is black radish. The product is washed, cleaned and rubbed on a fine grater, after which the juice is squeezed out of the resulting mass. The liquid is mixed with honey and used as food. A single dosage is a couple of teaspoons. It is best to take the medicine before meals and shortly before bedtime.
