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Saturday, January 10, 2009

Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Bronchitis

By Amy Cheung

Sometimes, for an individual with chronic bronchitis, the physical manifestations will swiftly worsen all of a sudden. This is known as an acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis, otherwise known as AECB. Many patients who pass away from this disease unexpectedly die while suffering from an attack of AECB, hence an individual experiencing sudden AECB should receive medical care instantly to increase his/her chances of survival.

What Occurs In An Attack of AECB?

Through a period of an AECB, the already irregularly constricted air passageways in the lungs become even thinner, and even more more profuse mucous is secreted. The condition will result in a person's regular breathing to become all the more labored. This may occur alongside a slight fever, chills and cold, as well as feeling weak in the knees. If the sudden AECB is due to bacterial infection, the mucus heaved during expectoration may potentially be speckled with blood, or tinged with a brighter than regular green or yellow. If the person is stricken with fever, and has found blood in their mucus, there is a good chance the attending doctor will take a chest x-ray to make sure that other factors such as pneumonia is not the underlying root of the problem.

What Are the Triggers of AECB?

Acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis are commonly triggered by a combination of these factors:

-Bacterial or viral infections (e.g. cold, flu)

-Air pollutants that irritate the lungs (e.g. smoke, fumes, dust)

-Weather changes

To avoid AECB, a chronic bronchitic is encouraged to avoid places with heavy air pollution, to seek flu and pneumonia shots, as well as to stick to a proper nutrition to strengthen the immune system against infectious agents.

If you are stricken with AECB, you must pursue medical treatment at once. This condition has been observed to trigger other conditions, as well as numerous cases are admitted to the hospital annually for AECB complications. If you are stricken by AECB, try to avoid panicking. Breathe as steadily as possible, and levelheadedly phone a doctor or physician for advice . Since this condition can come abruptly without warning, it is imperative to keep any inhalants prescribed by your doctor within reach in emergency situations. Remember to ask your physician, and ensure that such inhalants are okay to inhale during an attack of AECB, to avoid any problems. You may benefit from lying down with a humidifier turned on, or jumping in a warm shower to help you breath and decrease the problems of AECB.

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