Bronchitis is an inflammation of the bronchi (medium-size airways) in the lungs. Acute bronchitis is usually caused by viruses or bacteria and may last several days or weeks. Chronic bronchitis is not necessarily caused by infection and is generally part of a syndrome called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); it is defined clinically as a persistent cough that produces sputum (phlegm) and mucus, for at least three months in two consecutive years.

Signs and symptoms of Chronic bronchitis

Bronchitis may be indicated by an expectorating cough (also known as a productive cough, i.e. one that produces sputum), shortness of breath (dyspnea) and wheezing. Occasionally chest pains, fever, and fatigue or malaise may also occur. Mucus is normally green or yellowish green and also may be a neon orange or green, depending on the pathogen causing the inflammation.

Causes of Chronic bronchitis

Tobacco smoking is the most common cause.^[1]. Pneumoconiosis and long-term fume inhalation are other causes.^[1]

Diagnosis for Chronic bronchitis

A physical examination will often reveal decreased intensity of breath sounds, wheeze (rales) and prolonged expiration. Most doctors rely on the presence of a persistent dry or wet cough as evidence of bronchitis.

A variety of tests may be performed in patients presenting with cough and shortness of breath:

• Pulmonary Function Tests (PFT) (or spirometry) must be performed in all patients presenting with chronic cough. An FEV1/FVC ratio below 0.7 that is not fully reversible after bronchodilator therapy indicates the presence of COPD, that requires more aggressive therapy and carries a more severe prognosis than simple chronic bronchitis.
• A chest X-ray that reveals hyperinflation; collapse and consolidation of lung areas would support a diagnosis of pneumonia. Some conditions that predispose to bronchitis may be indicated by chest radiography.
• A sputum sample showing neutrophil granulocytes (inflammatory white blood cells) and culture showing that has pathogenic microorganisms such as Streptococcus spp.
• A blood test would indicate inflammation (as indicated by a raised white blood cell count and elevated C-reactive protein).
• Neutrophils infiltrate the lung tissue, aided by damage to the airways caused by irritation.
• Damage caused by irritation of the airways leads to inflammation and leads to neutrophils being present
• Mucosal hypersecretion is promoted by a substance released by neutrophils
• Further obstruction to the airways is caused by more goblet cells in the small airways. This is typical of chronic bronchitis
• Although infection is not the reason or cause of chronic bronchitis it is seen to aid in sustaining the bronchitis.

Treatment of Chronic bronchitis

Antibiotics

For acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis, if antibiotics are used, amoxycillin or doxycycline is recommended.

Bronchodilators

For acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis, a clinical practice guideline by the American College of Physicians found that bronchodilators may help.^[2]

Corticosteroids

For acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis, a clinical practice guideline by the American College of Physicians found that corticosteroids may help.^[2]

Smoking cessation

Smoking cessation is the effort to stop smoking tobacco products. Nicotine is an addictive substance, especially when taken in by inhaling tobacco because of the rapid absorption through the lungs. Tobacco use is one of the major causes of death worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.

Homeopathy Treatment for Chronic bronchitis

Keywords: homeopathy, homeopathic, treatment, cure, remedy, remedies, medicine

Homeopathy treats the person as a whole. It means that homeopathic treatment focuses on the patient as a person, as well as his pathological condition. The homeopathic medicines are selected after a full individualizing examination and case-analysis, which includes the medical history of the patient, physical and mental constitution, family history, presenting symptoms, underlying pathology, possible causative factors etc. A miasmatic tendency (predisposition/susceptibility) is also often taken into account for the treatment of chronic conditions. A homeopathy doctor tries to treat more than just the presenting symptoms. The focus is usually on what caused the disease condition? Why ‘this patient’ is sick ‘this way’. The disease diagnosis is important but in homeopathy, the cause of disease is not just probed to the level of bacteria and viruses. Other factors like mental, emotional and physical stress that could predispose a person to illness are also looked for. No a days, even modern medicine also considers a large number of diseases as psychosomatic. The correct homeopathy remedy tries to correct this disease predisposition. The focus is not on curing the disease but to cure the person who is sick, to restore the health. If a disease pathology is not very advanced, homeopathy remedies do give a hope for cure but even in incurable cases, the quality of life can be greatly improved with homeopathic medicines.

The homeopathic remedies (medicines) given below indicate the therapeutic affinity but this is not a complete and definite guide to the homeopathy treatment of this condition. The symptoms listed against each homeopathic remedy may not be directly related to this disease because in homeopathy general symptoms and constitutional indications are also taken into account for selecting a remedy. To study any of the following remedies in more detail, please visit the Materia Medica section at Hpathy.

None of these medicines should be taken without professional advice and guidance.

Homeopathy Remedies for Chronic bronchitis :

Acet-ac., acon., aesc., all-c., alum., alumn., am-c., am-i., am-m., am-p., ant-a., ant-c., ant-t., apis., arn., ars., ars-i., asc-t., aur-m., bar-c., bar-m., bell., benz-ac., blatta., brom., bry., cact., calc., calc-f., camph., cann-s., carb-s., carb-v., card-m., caust., cham., chel., chin., chlol., chlor., cina., cist., coc-c., colch., cop., dig., dros., dulc., eup-per., euphr., ferr-i., ferr-p., gels., grin., guai., hep., hippoz.,

References

1. ^ ^{a b} MedlinePlus – Bronchitis
2. ^ ^{a b} Bach PB, Brown C, Gelfand SE, McCrory DC (2001). “Management of acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a summary and appraisal of published evidence”. Ann. Intern. Med. 134 (7): 600–20. PMID 11281745.