Chronic bronchitis
Chronic bronchitis is a disease of the bronchi, manifested by coughing with sputum for at least 3 months for 2 consecutive years with the exception of other bronchopulmonary and / or cardiovascular diseases, which are accompanied by a chronic productive cough.
Factors leading to the development of chronic bronchitis:
- contact with irritating substances, dust, chemicals, fumes in the workplace;
- tobacco smoking (cigarettes, hookahs, cigars, pipes);
- air pollution of residential premises heated by wood-burning stoves;
- passive smoking;
- ambient air pollution;
- frequent respiratory infections in childhood.
Clinical picture of chronic bronchitis:
The main symptom is a cough with mucosal sputum production. At the beginning of the disease, the cough bothers several times during the day, usually intensifies in cold and wet weather, lasts for several months, but not less than 3, for 2 or more years and gradually becomes permanent;
Chronic bronchitis is a diagnosis of exclusion, because it can be established only in the absence of other pathologies of the bronchi and lungs (bronchiectasis, tuberculosis, pneumonia, bronchial asthma, lung cancer, etc.).
Differential diagnosis should be carried out with the following diseases:
- bronchial asthma;
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease;
- interstitial lung disease;
- bronchiectatic disease;
- tuberculosis;
- lung cancer;
- chronic heart failure, etc.
Treatment:
- Quitting smoking.
- Improvement of sputum discharge, the use of expectorants and mucolytic drugs.
- The use of drugs with bronchodilating effect.
- Antibacterial drugs (used for strict medical reasons)
- With a debilitating cough - the use of antitussive drugs.
- Sometimes the use of glucocorticosteroid therapy.
At the Moscow Clinical Research Center named after A.S. Loginov, pulmonologists will conduct differential diagnosis of the disease and determine treatment tactics. Do not delay your visit to the specialists of our Center.
