Bronchitis is when the mucus membranes of the bronchi become inflamed. Bronchi are the medium and larger sized airways that carry your airflow from the trachea to the lungs. What happens is, the inflamed mucus membranes start swelling and grow thicker, which then results in the narrowing of the airways. Later, coughing accompanied by phlegm and breathlessness will occur. It comes in two forms ; acute and chronic. Acute bronchitis normally may last one to three weeks, while chronic bronchitis lasts more than three months a year, or two years in a row. Let’s learn about more about bronchitis symptoms, its causes and home remedies for bronchitis.
Bronchitis Symptoms, its Causes and Home Remedies
Here is the answer of your question “what causes bronchitis”?. It occurs when you inhale too much of irritants. The irritants include cigarette smoke, air pollutants like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide and also respiratory irritants like viruses and bacteria. The viruses that trigger this are typically the same viruses that cause cold and pneumonia. However, these viruses cannot be killed by usual medications and require specific antibiotics for treatment. At the same time, weak immune systems can also lead to the disease. Older adults and infants have greater vulnerability to the infection.
Bronchitis Symptoms
Symptoms may vary depending on the type. Acute bronchitis usually produces milder symptoms compared to chronic bronchitis.
1. Acute bronchitis symptoms :
- Coughing
- Sputum production
- Wheezing
- Chest pain
- Breathlessness
- Fatigue
- Fever and sore throat
- Runny nose
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2. Chronic bronchitis symptoms :
- Coughing (with blood streaked in sputum)
- Wheezing
- Breathlessness
- Severe chest pain
- High fever, runny nose and sore throat
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Red patches on skin (feels itchy and dry)
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How to Treat Bronchitis?
It is very crucial to get immediate treatments for it. This is because recurrent episodes of this disease may lead to pneumonia, asthma, sinusitis, tuberculosis and cystic fibrosis. Treatment for bronchitis can be done in various ways
1. Antibiotics
Antibiotics aren’t usually effective to treat it. But however, if it is suspected to be caused by bacterial infection, or if you are a smoker, your doctor may prescribe you with a specific type of antibiotics. This will stop the inflammation and reduce the likeliness of it to reoccur.
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2. Cough syrup
Coughing can be really nagging. But we must bear in our minds that by coughing, you remove the irritants from your lungs and airways. Coughing normally keeps you from sleeping. So by taking cough syrup, you don’t only feel better but also sleep better.
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3. Therapies
Pulmonary rehabilitation may help if you have developed chronic bronchitis. This is a breathing exercise in which your therapist will teach you techniques on how to breathe easily.
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Home Remedies For Bronchitis
1. Hot toddy
Fill in a cup with boiling hot water. Place a herbal tea bag and let it step for 5 minutes. Then add in 2tbs of honey, a pinch of cinnamon powder and 1tsp of cinnamon.
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2. Oregano oil
Place a few drops of oregano oil under the tongue once a day. This will help to relieve the cough, and kill the infections on your throat at the same time.
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3. Saltwater
Gargle with warm saltwater to reduce the inflammation of your throat. Just add 1tsp of salt into a cup of warm water and stir well. Gargle as often as needed.
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4. Almonds
Almonds are well known for their healing power regarding respiratory illness. Eat them in any form as preferred. But be sure not take them with chocolates or candies.
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5. Pennywort leaves
This is an ancient Asian way of treating most respiratory illnesses. Just boil some leaves in water, strain and then drink it warm. Take a cup of this every day to get complete cure.
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These are few ways to get treament. However, on the other hand, you should also learn to prevent this disease. Always drink plenty of water, take plenty of rest and avoid frequent exposures to air pollutants, chemical irritants and so on. Also, remember to avoid contacts with anyone who has cold and flu. By following these, you will be able to prevent it. And many people have one question in mind i.e. “Is bronchitis contagious”?, the answer is yes, but not always.If you have any suggestions on “how to cure bronchitis?”, then you can comment below. Hope our information helps you.
