Bronchitis is a disease that people encounter quite often. In this case, the disease is often the main cause of the development of pathologies localized in the lower region of the respiratory system. Almost every inhabitant of the planet at least once encountered bronchitis, the classification of which will be presented below. A characteristic feature of this disease is the appearance of dry cough, which can be of varying intensity. The cough is accompanied by sputum, it appears a few days after the onset of the acute phase of the disease.
What are bronchitis
Classification of this disease involves several of its varieties. It will depend on the characteristic symptoms and many other factors. Depending on the genesis of the infection, bronchitis may be primary, in which pathology primarily begins to develop in the bronchi. The classification of bronchitis also includes a secondary type of this disease. This is due to another disease, for example, whooping cough, pneumonia, tuberculosis.
Types of bronchitis depending on localization
The name of the disease itself summarizes all varieties of pathology, in which the inner surface of the bronchial tree is affected . During this, a person develops a cough with sputum, but it may not be observed. As a rule, regardless of the classification of bronchitis, it is always accompanied by an increase in temperature.
The bronchi are divided into small, medium and large. Depending on which particular department was affected, the classification of bronchitis implies its three main forms: bronchiolitis, tracheobronchitis and bronchitis.
Bronchitis
This diagnosis, as a rule, is made to patients with existing inflammation of the small and medium bronchi. The disease begins in the form of a cold, which is accompanied by a cough, sore throat, increased sweating and hoarseness. In this case, the cough can be of a different nature, as well as intensity, ranging from moderate to very strong. Initially, sputum is almost absent, but it appears only a few days after coughing.
Tracheobronchitis
This diagnosis suggests that the patient has an inflamed area of the trachea, as well as large bronchi, where it goes. Symptoms of this pathology are very similar to the shape and type of bronchitis, however, the main difference is in the nature of the pain syndrome and cough. Tracheobronchitis is accompanied by a dry cough, and if sputum is formed, then its amount is very small. The cough itself, by the nature of the manifestation, can be called paroxysmal. It is mainly observed at night, during stress, crying, as well as with a sharp change in air temperature.
Bronchiolitis
In this case, the most distant and small bronchi, called bronchioles, are affected. In most cases, this disease is accompanied by inflammation of the upper sections, but can also occur spontaneously and acutely without the inflammatory process of large bronchial trunks and nasopharynx. This type of disease is characterized by a severe course, which is exacerbated by the appearance of respiratory failure due to the fact that there was a strong narrowing of the lumen of the airways in the distal part of the small bronchi. Because of this, hypoxia can even develop.
Acute bronchitis
The code for acute bronchitis according to ICD-10 is J20. Symptoms of this type of disease are not too pronounced, therefore, it is necessary to take into account not only the available clinical signs, but also understand the genesis and etiology of the disease.
Acute bronchitis (according to ICD-10 - J20) has the same manifestations that are characteristic of the inflammatory process in small and medium bronchi. The main feature of the acute form is that with it all the existing symptoms completely disappear after recovery.
The nature and presence of sputum are important diagnostic signs that help to make the correct formulation of the diagnosis of acute bronchitis. If there is blood in the sputum, then this indicates any damage to the mucous membrane due to a strong attack of coughing, as well as due to rupture of blood vessels in the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract. In addition, detection of blood in the sputum of a patient may indicate the development of cancer or the presence of tuberculosis.
If there is pus in the sputum, then this is a symptom of a purulent infection. If the discharge consists entirely of pus, then it is customary to talk about purulent bronchitis.
But the symptoms of acute bronchitis (ICD-10 - J20) are as follows:
- Hyperthermia, which can be of a different nature, ranging from subfebrile to febrile indicators.
- Dry cough, which eventually becomes productive.
- Sensation of fatigue and general weakness.
- Increased sweating.
- Chills and feeling aches in the body.
- Dry wheezing with very hard breathing.
- Shortness of breath if the disease has affected the vast airway.
The diagnosis of chronic bronchitis
It is immediately worth noting that with a chronic form, this disease is not completely cured. Chronic bronchitis is constantly in a progressive state. The main reasons for the development of this pathology are the following:
- Frequent cases of acute bronchitis.
- Inadequate therapy for acute respiratory infections.
- Foci of infection localized in the upper respiratory tract, as well as in the oral cavity, for example, tonsillitis or stomatitis.
- Unsuitable climate: fogs, damp weather, cold snap.
- Constant irritation of the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract (gas, dust, dirty industrial air and much more).
- Smoking. You should also pay attention to the fact that passive smoking can also be a provoking factor in chronic bronchitis.
- Hereditary predisposition.
The disease in this case proceeds strictly individually. In some patients, treatment of chronic bronchitis is sluggish with a long remission, while there are no signs of any deformation of the bronchial anatomical elements. In other patients, exacerbations are partially manifested, they are provoked by various causes: hypothermia, changes in air temperature and many others.
During remission, a productive morning cough can be observed, and during the progression of the disease, it can occur at night. After some time, purulent contents begin to accumulate in sputum.
In most cases, exacerbations of chronic bronchitis are observed in the off-season, when the weather often changes on the street. If the patient has an additional infection, then the foci of inflammation can be replaced by a diffuse type of bronchitis, and the disease will affect the deeper layers, which will in turn lead to deformation of the histological structure of the bronchi.
Sputum is observed more, and it has a purulent appearance. The patient begins to cough harder, and the symptoms develop further in such a way that it becomes similar to acute bronchitis. And if the patient still has a diagnosis of pulmonary heart, problems with blood circulation may appear.
Diagnosis of the disease
To determine acute and chronic bronchitis, the patient must undergo an examination. To begin with, the specialist finds out from the patient the details of the disease: how it started, how often this happens. Answering the question of which doctor to treat with bronchitis, it should be noted that the following specialists can examine an adult:
- Pulmonologist.
- Otolaryngologist.
- TB specialist.
- Infectionist.
- Allergist.
- Oncologist.
While listening to the chest, the doctor determines the presence of wheezing and the nature of the patient's breathing. In parallel with this patient, the following tests can be prescribed by a specialist:
- Histological and bacteriological analysis of sputum.
- Spirogram.
- General analysis of urine and blood.
- X-ray as needed.
With a complex course of the disease, bronchoscopy and computed tomography are additionally prescribed, since without these data it is impossible to identify some aspects, for example, the degree of deformation that occurs with destructive bronchitis.
In addition, the specialist receives important data after a sputum examination. The color and nature of the discharge, the content of epithelial cells, irritating agents, macrophages, allergens, plays an important role in determining the disease.
Possible complications
If improper treatment is carried out, unpleasant consequences can occur. The infection can spread through the respiratory tract and go down, which is why pneumonia of a different nature often appears. If the patient has weak immunity, then in this case, as well as due to the lack of treatment or its improper implementation, pneumonia can develop, which in some cases becomes chronic.
The overall outcome of therapy will depend on the degree of damage to the bronchial epithelium. As a rule, the acute form of the disease is completely cured, but this can not be said about chronic bronchitis. In this case, the history of the disease (bronchitis) will depend on the individual characteristics of the patient’s health. If small bronchi were affected, and there are also purulent foci, then in some cases this leads to death. Also, probable complications of any types of bronchitis include diseases such as:
- COPD
- Pneumonia.
- Emphysema.
- Problems with heart.
- Joining an asthmatic component.
- Deformation of the bronchi.
- Hypertension, pulmonary failure.
Finally
In most cases, the cause of bronchitis lies in an infectious infection. But if the immune system is weakened, then a secondary infection may join. If the diagnosis is correctly and promptly carried out, and the appropriate drug therapy is prescribed, then the prognosis of the treatment of the disease is favorable.