Chronic Bronchitis

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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Symptoms
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Prevention and Risk Factors
• Treatments and Therapies

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• Living With
• Related Issues

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• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
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Summary

Bronchitis is an inflammation of the bronchial tubes, the airways that carry air to your lungs. It causes a cough that often brings up mucus. It can also cause shortness of breath, wheezing, a low fever, and chest tightness. There are two main types of bronchitis: acute and chronic.

Chronic bronchitis is one type of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). The inflamed bronchial tubes produce a lot of mucus. This leads to coughing and difficulty breathing. Cigarette smoking is the most common cause. Breathing in air pollution, fumes, or dust over a long period of time may also cause it.

To diagnose chronic bronchitis, your doctor will look at your signs and symptoms and listen to your breathing. You may also have other tests.

Chronic bronchitis is a long-term condition that keeps coming back or never goes away completely. If you smoke, it is important to quit. Treatment can help with your symptoms. It often includes medicines to open your airways and help clear away mucus. You may also need oxygen therapy. Pulmonary rehabilitation may help you manage better in daily life.

NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Start Here

• Bronchitis (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish
• Chronic Bronchitis (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Chronic Bronchitis (National Jewish Health)
• Get Smart: Know When Antibiotics Work - Bronchitis (Chest Cold) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish

Symptoms

• What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Bronchitis? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Blood Gases Test (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
• Chest X Ray? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
• Cough (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Spirometry (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• What Are Lung Function Tests? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

Prevention and Risk Factors

• How Can Bronchitis Be Prevented? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish
• What Causes Bronchitis? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

• How Is Bronchitis Treated? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish

Living With

• Living with Chronic Bronchitis (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish
• Pulmonary Rehabilitation: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

• Humidifiers: Air Moisture Eases Skin, Breathing Symptoms (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

Statistics and Research

• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Includes: Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema (National Center for Health Statistics)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Bronchitis, Chronic (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Efficacy and safety of HL301 in the treatment of acute...
• Article: Early investigational antibiotics for the treatment of acute exacerbations of...
• Article: Zabofloxacin for chronic bronchitis.
• Chronic Bronchitis -- see more articles

Reference Desk

• Bronchi, Bronchial Tree, & Lungs (National Cancer Institute)
• What Are the Lungs? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

Find an Expert

• American Lung Association
• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Teenagers

• Bronchitis (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• How to breathe when you are short of breath (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Traveling with breathing problems (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Using oxygen at home (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish