A tight chest. Hacking cough. Yellowish or greenish phlegm. These symptoms are all telltale signs of bronchitis, an inflammation of the bronchi, the main air passageways that lead to the lungs. When these tubes swell, thick mucus forms inside them, making it difficult for you to breathe. This common condition can be triggered by a number of causes, including viral or bacterial infections and inhalation of cigarette smoke or irritating chemicals.

There are two main types of bronchitis: acute and chronic. Acute bronchitis is the fleeting version, lasting for anywhere from a few days to several weeks. It often comes hand in hand with the viruses and bacteria that cause colds, flu, and strep throat. Most often, it’s treated with expectorants, cough suppressants, or a bronchodilator (a medicine that helps open the air passageways); if bacteria are to blame, a course of antibiotics is in order.

Chronic bronchitis, or a case that lasts longer than 3 months, is a persistent condition. Most frequently, it’s due to cigarette smoke or chemical substances that irritate the bronchi. Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, which causes stomach acids to back up into the esophagus, is another culprit. Although experts estimate that as many as 14 million Americans suffer from chronic bronchitis, about half of those cases go undiagnosed. The illness is treated in much the same way as acute bronchitisis.

If you suspect that you have bronchitis, a physician can screen for the disease by using a stethoscope to listen to your breathing. He or she may also request a chest x-ray or a sputum test, which checks for bacteria in your phlegm. Other screenings may be administered to rule out other breathing disorders, such as asthma and emphysema.

ADDITIONAL FACTS

  1. Chronic bronchitis is one form of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a cluster of lung problems that make it difficult to breathe.
  2. Smoking accounts for 80 percent of chronic bronchitis cases.