Chronic bronchitis radical cure medication

Written by Wang Xiang Yu

Pulmonology

Updated on September 04, 2024

00:00

00:00

First, we still need to know what chronic bronchitis is. The medical definition of chronic bronchitis is chronic non-specific inflammation of the trachea, bronchial mucosa, and surrounding tissues. Here, we emphasize the chronic process, and the diagnostic criteria generally require that the condition persists for more than three months each year, for two consecutive years or more. Since the definition of the disease strongly emphasizes the chronic process, we must understand this disease and accept this fact. The symptoms of chronic bronchitis can last a long time and may recur throughout a person's life.

So far, we have not found a cure for chronic bronchitis. Therefore, patients with chronic bronchitis do not need to believe those false advertisements, nor should they pursue a cure for chronic bronchitis and use antibiotics long-term, as these are not advisable approaches.

Other Voices

home-news-image

Written by Wang Xiang Yu

Pulmonology

57sec

home-news-image

What are the symptoms of chronic bronchitis?

Chronic bronchitis is also colloquially known as "old chronic bronchitis." From this name, we can tell that patients usually develop the disease slowly with a long duration, lasting for years, even decades. The symptoms, such as coughing and expectoration, can acutely worsen repeatedly. Most patients cough and produce phlegm mostly when indoors, particularly noticeable upon waking in the morning and also possibly at night. The phlegm is typically white, sticky, or serous and foamy; occasionally, it may be blood-streaked. During acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis or when accompanied by an infection, pus-like yellow phlegm or green bloody sputum may appear. Additionally, a small number of patients may experience wheezing, also known as asthmatic bronchitis.

home-news-image

Written by Wang Xiang Yu

Pulmonology

1min 31sec

home-news-image

Chronic bronchitis chest X-ray manifestations

Patients with chronic bronchitis may have completely normal chest X-rays or lung CT scans in the early stages, meaning that if a patient exhibits symptoms of chronic bronchitis, such as coughing and expectorating for more than three months continuously or over two consecutive years, they can still be diagnosed with chronic bronchitis even if their chest X-ray appears normal. Additionally, as chronic bronchitis progresses over time, some patients may develop thickening of the bronchial walls or interstitial inflammation in the small bronchioles and alveoli, etc. These conditions can manifest on chest X-rays as coarse, disordered lung textures in a net-like or strip-like pattern, or as patchy shadows, which are generally more evident in the lower fields of both lungs. Observing these changes on a chest X-ray can assist in diagnosing chronic bronchitis. Furthermore, as the disease progresses, some patients with chronic bronchitis may develop into chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or pulmonary heart disease, and corresponding changes might be observable on chest X-rays. Additionally, patients with chronic bronchitis often experience acute exacerbations or concurrent infections, which may lead to patchy exudates visible on the chest wall.

home-news-image

Written by Wang Xiang Yu

Pulmonology

3min 18sec

home-news-image

How to treat chronic bronchitis?

How to treat chronic bronchitis, first of all we need to know that chronic bronchitis can be divided into two phases, one is the remission phase, the other is the acute exacerbation phase. Since most patients are in the remission phase most of the time, that is, their symptoms of cough and expectoration are relatively stable, more or less the same every day, with no significant change in the amount and nature of the sputum, no purulent sputum, no significant increase in sputum, and no fever or other symptoms of infection. In such cases, the first step in treating chronic bronchitis patients is to target some possible causes of their condition, such as smokers must quit smoking. Most chronic bronchitis patients experience some relief in cough and expectoration after quitting smoking. Furthermore, some patients' chronic bronchitis may be due to exposure to dust or irritant gases. It is crucial to avoid contact with these harmful gases as much as possible. In addition, patients in a stable condition should engage in physical exercise, enhance their physical fitness, and prevent colds. Some chronic bronchitis patients who frequently suffer from respiratory infections can consider using immunomodulators or some traditional Chinese medicine to regulate immunity and enhance resistance. Additionally, since chronic bronchitis can acutely exacerbate, which means the patient’s condition has changed, their cough and expectoration frequency may increase, the amount of sputum may increase, or there may be some purulent sputum, or fever and other symptoms. In such cases, the primary treatment may still be infection control, commonly using antimicrobial drugs, often referred to as anti-inflammatory drugs. The types of anti-inflammatory drugs are numerous, the most common ones include penicillin, erythromycin, levofloxacin, amoxicillin, and some cephalosporins. In such cases, it is necessary to choose medication under the guidance of a doctor. Additionally, in these situations where the patient’s cough and expectoration are worsened, and sputum increases, medications for cough suppression and expectoration, commonly known as expectorants and cough relievers, are also needed. There are some proprietary Chinese medicines, such as licorice preparations, and Western medicines such as bromhexine and ambroxol as well. Moreover, a very small portion of patients may experience wheezing, meaning some patients might also have symptoms like chest tightness and shortness of breath. In such cases, it would be necessary to use bronchodilators under the guidance of a doctor, such as theophylline or doxophylline, and these medications must be used under medical supervision.

home-news-image

Written by Wang Xiang Yu

Pulmonology

45sec

home-news-image

Is chronic bronchitis hereditary?

The etiology of chronic bronchitis is not very clear at present. It is considered that many factors work over a long period to cause chronic bronchitis. The most common factors include long-term irritation from harmful gases and particles, such as cigarette smoke, smog, dust, irritating gases like sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, etc., as well as infectious factors. There might also be a certain relationship with the occurrence of chronic bronchitis, but so far, no close relationship has been found between chronic bronchitis and genetics, and there is no evidence to prove that chronic bronchitis is a hereditary disease.

home-news-image

Written by Yuan Qing

Pulmonology

1min 4sec

home-news-image

How to use diet to supplement treatment for chronic bronchitis?

Chronic bronchitis primarily refers to a condition characterized by a frequent chronic cough, with the total duration of cough exceeding three months per year and recurring for two consecutive years. Through routine examinations, such as chest X-rays and pulmonary function tests, other conditions like pulmonary space-occupying lesions, bronchiectasis, tumors, tuberculosis, and asthma are ruled out. If the disease is predominantly characterized by coughing, it is referred to as chronic bronchitis. Chronic bronchitis is generally related to long-term exposure to smoke and dust. In terms of dietary support, traditional Chinese medicine believes that the lung is associated with the color white; therefore, it is suggested to consume more white-colored foods, which help to moisten the lungs, stop coughs, and transform phlegm. Foods such as lotus seeds, Job's tears, tofu, and Chinese yam are considered beneficial in the dietary treatment of chronic bronchitis.