Bronchitis is one of the most common respiratory diseases. It is also insidious in that, in the absence of proper treatment, it can turn into a chronic form. According to modern statistics, it occurs in people of any age, but it is most severe in children. Therefore, parents need to know which cough with bronchitis is characteristic. This will allow you to take timely action and prevent complications. In most cases, bronchitis is caused by infectious causes.
What a pathology
Let's start with what bronchi are. It is the most important part of the respiratory system. Through the bronchial system, oxygen is delivered to the lungs. Their surface is covered with mucus and sensitive cilia that bring back the mucus that accumulates inside for various reasons.
Bronchitis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane. There can be many reasons for this, we will return to this below. The disease can be simple or obstructive in degree of development. Bronchitis can be acute or chronic. Based on what kind of cough with bronchitis, the doctor may suggest complications.
- Obstructive bronchitis is one of the varieties in which the strongest narrowing of the bronchial lumen occurs. The cause may be mucus buildup or spasm.
- If the inflammation goes to the trachea, then we are talking about tracheobronchitis.
- If the lungs are involved in the pathological process, then we are talking about bronchopneumonia.
Diagnosis requires experience and knowledge. It is sometimes difficult for an ordinary patient to even explain what kind of cough. In bronchitis, it is usually painful and prolonged - this is the only thing that can be described.
Main symptoms and signs
Often, patients do not go to the doctor until they feel a serious deterioration in their condition. Cough and runny nose in our society are not considered serious symptoms, so they are ignored. In addition, it is difficult to determine which cough in bronchitis is characteristic, because it depends on the form of the course of the disease.
- It can be dry or wet. It should be noted that dry is characteristic only for atypical or viral bronchitis. It is more painful, hysterical and is not accompanied by sputum. Knowing which cough with bronchitis in adults is usually accompanied by spasmodic attacks that cause headaches, doctors prescribe drugs,acting on the cough center in the brain and blocking the reflex. This is not the main, but only an auxiliary treatment.
- Wet cough with green sputum is a symptom of bacterial bronchitis. Antibiotics are required to improve the condition.
Primary diagnostics
Here we divide the course of the disease into acute and chronic. In each of these cases, the clinical picture will be very different. Let's start with what kind of cough in acute bronchitis. Usually these are strong attacks, after which it gives pain to the head. A person does not feel relief after an attack. On the contrary, he feels pain in his chest and throat. In addition, the signs of the acute phase include:
- Increase in body temperature to 39 degrees.
- Lethargy and fatigue.
- Chills.
- Sweating.
- Wheezing.
- Shortness of breath and pain in the sternum. This is typical for severe bronchitis.
The acute form is usually of short duration. Even with the treatment of folk remedies, the cough should not last longer than 14 days. It is usually accompanied by rhinitis of varying intensity.
Types and types of the acute form of the disease
Features of the course of the disease:
- Bronchitis can be contagious if it is caused by bacteria or viruses. Incorrect inhalation exposure may be a factor contributing to the progression of the disease. Both options are characterized by a wet cough with a lot of sputum.
- Primary or secondary. That is, whether it develops as an independent disease or is a complication of a primary infection.
- By location, bronchiolitis, tracheobronchitis and bronchitis affecting the middle bronchi are distinguished. The doctor listens for wheezing with a stethoscope to make a correct diagnosis.
- By the nature of inflammation, bronchitis can be purulent or catarrhal. In the first case, the cough is accompanied by pus, and in the second - mucus.
- A very important indicator is the nature of the violation of lung ventilation. Knowing which cough with obstructive bronchitis is typical for most patients, you can prescribe the right treatment and alleviate the condition. In the obstructive form, bronchioles and small bronchi are affected, that is, plus everything, breathing is difficult. If blue lips are observed, then it is imperative to call an ambulance.
Chronic form
If you do not consult a doctor in time and do not start the right treatment, then such an outcome is possible. Symptoms gradually fade away and the person believes that he is completely cured. But a few weeks go by, and as you walk down the street on a cool day, you feel like you're getting sick again. What kind of cough in chronic bronchitis can be called typical? It usually recurs after any physical activity and is accompanied by sputum. At the same time, syrups or cough medicines do not bring relief. With such a disease, it is difficult for a person to talk for a long time, to lecture.
So, with this form it is characteristic:
- Coughwith phlegm.
- Hasting breath during exercise.
- Heat temperature.
But even here it must be borne in mind that each person has all the symptoms are individual. In addition, in the course of the development of the disease, they can increase or, conversely, fade. Therefore, it is not always easy to characterize what a cough with bronchitis is like.
But hemoptysis in this disease is not typical. But in some cases, bouts of severe coughing can provoke a rupture of the vessel in the mucosa. Blood in the sputum is always scary, so discuss this point with your doctor. He has test results on hand and knows how to calm the patient.
Chronic Bronchitis Variants
The timing here is quite difficult to determine. A person can get the flu in childhood or adolescence, and many years later experience the consequences of improper or untimely treatment of bronchitis. What kind of cough the patient should have will also depend on the form and conditions under which the disease stubbornly returns:
- You also need to distinguish between primary and secondary bronchitis.
- According to the nature of the discharge when coughing, they are divided into catarrhal, purulent and mixed.
- Bronchitis with and without obstruction.
- Various in localization.
In the chronic form, we can observe the course of the disease without fever. Symptoms of bronchitis without fever can be a severe headache, apathy and shortness of breath. If, when coughing, the patient feels pain that radiates to the side, then plastic bronchitis can be suspected, that isobstruction of the lumen of the bronchus. Treatment in this case, as in all others, should be handled by a doctor.
The course of the disease in children
According to statistics, the largest number of complications occurs at the age of up to 5 years. The acute form of the disease, as a rule, develops against the background of damage to the body by the influenza virus, adenoviruses and other pathogenic microorganisms that cause respiratory diseases. Chronic obstructive bronchitis can be characterized by the addition of mycoplasmas and chlamydia, which can be found in bronchial swabs.
What kind of cough with bronchitis in children can be considered favorable? Moist, moderate, with good mucus discharge. But most often, at the initial stages of the disease, sputum is thick and viscous, which is a nutrient medium for the development of pathogenic organisms. Only when the acute phase has passed does it begin to move away quite freely.
Respiratory failure
This is one of the most formidable complications, which is most often characteristic of childhood, in the range from 2 to 6 years. Depending on what kind of cough with bronchitis in children, doctors can assume such a scenario and prescribe the right treatment in time. Obstructive bronchitis occurs due to spasm of the bronchi and the accumulation of viscous sputum in the places of their narrowing, causing a hysterical cough.
If the baby has seizures, then you need to call a doctor immediately. At the same time, listen carefully to how he breathes. This disease is very insidious, and often the child cannot breathe normally, exhalation is especially difficult. In this case, it is requiredhospitalization.
It must be remembered that the common symptoms of obstructive bronchitis in children develop suddenly. These include:
- General weakness and malaise.
- Anxiety and tearfulness.
- Whistling wheezing on exhalation.
- The temperature rises to 38 degrees.
At the very beginning of the disease, the cough will be very dry. It hurts the child to cough and he tries to do it as carefully as possible. Proper therapy consists in thinning and removing sputum, against the background of antibiotic therapy. The treatment of infants can be especially difficult. What kind of cough with bronchitis would not be present, it will still exhaust the crumbs. Add to this a constant horizontal position, so that the mucus does not leave. In this case, you need hospitalization and the support of a competent doctor. Self-medication is fraught with serious complications.
Diagnosis
Do not self-medicate, no matter what kind of cough the child has. With bronchitis, a qualified doctor should listen to him. A strong dry or wet cough, shortness of breath, lethargy and fever are all reasons to call a specialist at home. For diagnosis doctor:
- Carefully listen to the baby's breathing to identify characteristic changes.
- If necessary, send for x-rays.
- Write a referral for a general blood and urine test. Changing the leukocyte formula will be informative for diagnosis and treatment.
Treatment measures
Questionthe use of antibiotics remains open. Here, each case must be considered separately. Their use is required:
- If the inflammatory process is provoked by a bacterial infection.
- If a bacterial complication has joined.
The choice of drugs is classic: penicillins, cephalosporins, macrolides. For example, Sumamed, Amoxicillin, Cefazolin, Cefadroxil, Erythromycin, Azithromycin. Depending on the state of he alth and age, one or another treatment option is chosen.
If the doctor suspects the viral nature of the disease, then the use of appropriate medicines suggests itself. But there are no proven antiviral drugs with proven effectiveness, this is a fact. But there are doctors who are confident in their positive impact on the healing process. To date, these are drugs with interferon and oseltamivir.
Expectorants
Another large group of drugs, without which no treatment can do. Bronchitis always begins with a dry, violent cough. Therefore, drugs with the following effects are used:
- To stimulate expectoration.
- For thinning phlegm.
The first group includes drugs that will stimulate the cough center of the brain. These are thermopsis grass, a number of essential oils, ammonium chloride and others. Highlyit is important to follow the recommended dosage, otherwise the body will react with vomiting and nasal congestion.
The second group of drugs are mucolytics. That is, substances that dilute sputum without leading to an increase in its volume. These are "Bromhexine", "Ambroxol", "Doctor Mom", "Alteika" and a number of other drugs with a similar effect.
Additional help
Physiotherapy works very well for bronchitis. To do this, you have to visit a hospital, but the effect is worth it. There are a lot of recommended procedures, but inhalations, massage and breathing exercises have proven effectiveness. Inhalation is carried out with solutions of s alt and soda, essential oils, "Ambrobene". High temperature is a contraindication.
Respiratory gymnastics and massage are usually prescribed when the disease has subsided and only with the permission of the attending physician. This is especially true when treating a child.
Conclusion
Diagnosis and treatment of bronchitis have a number of features. Each form can be different, and it's not always easy to even explain what kind of cough you have. Therefore, it is impossible to self-medicate. The specialist will listen to the lungs, refer if necessary for an x-ray, and then prescribe the most adequate treatment in your case. The sooner you start following the recommendations, the sooner you will feel better, and the risk of the disease becoming chronic will be minimal.
