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Thursday, January 8, 2009

Signs and Symptoms of Chronic Bronchitis

By Amy Cheung

Chronic bronchitis is described as the swelling or inflammation of the airways or bronchi in the upper respiratory system. This condition is commonly accompanied by an overproduction of mucus. Chronic bronchitis can manifest as a wide range of symptoms, and is generally hard to diagnose since the symptoms may be attributed to other ailments that involve the lungs in particular and the respiratory system in general. To date, at least one in twenty Americans reportedly suffers chronic bronchitis. Despite the fact that the figure has been consistently diminishing since the seventies, the large quantity of individuals who have chronic bronchitis still concerns doctors as it is frequently life threatening. The following are some frequently occurring symptoms of chronic bronchitis:

Coughing - Cough that results from chronic bronchitis is usually originallynoticed in the early morning, soon after rising from bed. The person will most likely cough|get a coughing attack) for several hours after waking up. As the disease advances, the coughing attacks will become more pronounced, and sometimes cannot be cured.

Shortness of Breath - Shortness of breath usually occurs in a number of patients suffering from chronic bronchitis. The shortness of breath can possibly be triggered by overworking or even just mild activity. While the disease develops further the shortness of breath may even be triggered by merely hiking a little distance, or climbing down some stairs.

Infections in the Respiratory System - Chronic bronchitis is most commonly the primary cause of respiratory infections. Since an excess of mucus is created by the body in people with respiratory infections, this this results in the upper respiratory system becoming abnormally damp and warm. This can become a hotbed of sorts for infectious agents, and makes infections exceedingly difficult to cure as soon as they are caught.

Fatigue - Fatigue or exhaustion is frequently felt by individuals suffering from chronic bronchitis. These patients easily become tired just after rising from bed in the morning, or at other random periods throughout the day. This is due to the fact that the amount of oxygen in their blood is significantly reduced compared to those who don't suffer from chronic bronchitis.

Enlargement of the Ankles and Legs - Since chronic bronchitis can commonly cause more complications, due to deficient levels of oxygen in the blood, it may cause the skin to turn blue or cause the extremities to become swollen in the advanced stages of this disease. The swelling of the legs is additionally a sign of congestive heart failure, therefore individuals experiencing this symptom is advised to see a physician at the soonest possible time.

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