Bronchitis Signs & Symptoms - OmniMedicalSearch.com, Acute & Chronic Bronchitis

Conditions & Diseases: Lung & Respiratory Disorders

Bronchitis

Signs & Symptoms

The initial symptoms for acute bronchitis may feel similar to cold or flu-like symptoms. A list of all symptoms include:

Headache
Soreness or tightness of the chest, chest congestion
Wheezing, difficulty breathing
Low grade fever
Fatigue
Physical discomfort (malaise)
Sore throat
A cough that may be dry at first, then produces a white or clear colored mucus.
If that white mucus later turns yellow or greenish, this indicates a bacterial infection.

With chronic bronchitis, the symptoms are more permanent and damaging to one's health. Approximatley 80 percent of all chronic bronchitis cases are the result of smoking. Years of damage weaken the respiratory system. For those who suffer from chronic bronchitis, respiratory infections (colds & flu) last longer and are more frequent. The inflammation and thickening of the lining of the bronchial tubes becomes permanent which leads to the signatory shortness of breath and difficulty breathing, as well as a recurring, persistent cough that never seems to go away. Gradually, these symptoms get worse and are dismissed as "Smoker's Cough," which only down-plays the severity of the problem. Left untreated, the outcome can be very bad and possibly lead to pneumonia, emphysema and pulminary hypertension.

"Smoking can cause temporary paralysis of the cilia and over time kills the ciliate airway lining ciliated cells completely. Eventually, the airway lining stops clearing smoking-related debris, irritants, and excess mucus from the lungs altogether. When this happens, a smoker's lungs become even more vulnerable to infection. Over time, harmful substances in tobacco smoke permanently damage the airways, increasing the risk for emphysema, cancer, and other serious lung diseases. Smoking also causes the mucus-producing glands to enlarge and make more mucus. Along with the toxic particles and chemicals in smoke, this causes a smoker to have a chronic cough." - Kidshealth.org

Other symptoms of chronic bronchitis include:

Swelling in the fingers and toes
Swelling in the ankles, feet and legs.
Rales - a bubbling or crackling sound heard through a stethoscope that occurs during inhalation.
Rhonchi - An abnormal sound (gurgling) coming from the chest when heard through a stethoscope. Indicates the narrowing of air passages due to the build up of thick fluid, mucus.
Dyspnea - Difficult or labored breathing, wheezing.
Increase in the volume of mucus discharged from the chest.
Weak feeling due to hypoxia (lack of oxygen).
Cyanosis - Bluish discoloration of the skin and/or membranes in caucasians. Appears gray or grayish in African-Americans and dark skinned patients.

Article by Jason Morrow, BA
Editor
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Page Last Modified:
10/09/2010