What is bronchitis?
Respiratory diseases enter the bodythrough the respiratory tract. All viruses and bacteria pass through the bronchi (branched tubes of different diameters). The infectious agent affects their walls. After that, the body undergoes an inflammatory process. This phenomenon is called bronchitis in medicine. Inflammation of the bronchi is accompanied by the appearance of mucus, which makes breathing difficult. It provokes a cough, as the bronchial muscles begin to actively contract. This spasm makes it difficult to remove sputum. Edema can lead to complications of the disease. If timely assistance is not provided, treatment is started, then these symptoms can develop into chronic ones. Often, the initial stage is complicated and progresses. Bronchial asthma, pneumonia, and pneumonia develop. Sometimes the onset of the disease can be associated with smoking, working in industrial premises, hypothermia.
Symptoms and Diagnosis of Disease
Difficulty breathing, severe cough,"barking" or whooping cough are the main symptoms of the disease. Usually the signs appear at night, but in the chronic stage they can be detected during the day. At the initial stage, fever, weakness in the muscles of the body, wheezing, chest pain, fatigue or apathy may appear. At the first symptoms, you should consult a doctor. After all, improper treatment can aggravate the course of the disease. Diagnosis of bronchitis does not cause certain difficulties for a specialist. Using a phonendoscope, the therapist will listen to whether there are wheezing in the internal cavity. If bronchitis is suspected, it is recommended to take blood and urine tests to determine the degree of the inflammatory process. If the disease has taken a protracted form or has passed into a severe stage, the doctor will prescribe an X-ray. A sputum analysis and a mucus sample from the nasal passages are also prescribed.
Treatment of bronchitis
First of all, at the first signsdiseases, it is recommended to stay in bed and drink plenty of fluids. In order for phlegm to come out faster, it is necessary to maintain an optimal temperature in the room, do frequent wet cleaning. Often, many people who are faced with this disease try to cure themselves. However, only a doctor can determine the type of cough with reliable accuracy. So, with a dry cough, it is recommended to use expectorants to increase phlegm. These can be syrups, tablets, emulsions. For young children, drugs are usually prescribed in the form of drops or syrups. Antitussive drugs can quickly eliminate the signs of the disease. However, their use will not remove the source of the disease. Doctors prescribe these medications, combining them with other drugs. They are needed in some cases to alleviate the condition. For children and adults, additional treatment is prescribed inhalation courses. Adults can use decoctions of medicinal herbs (licorice, marshmallow, coltsfoot, plantain, etc.) about 3 times a day. For children, it is recommended to do procedures using special nebulizer devices. Most clinics are equipped with a physiotherapy room where these procedures are performed. You can buy a nebulizer for home use. The therapist will prescribe the necessary treatment program. Usually, such drugs as Ambrobene, Berodual, etc. are prescribed for inhalations using the device. In the chronic form of the disease, antiviral drugs and antibiotics are prescribed. They fight the inflammatory process and the infectious agent.
Folk remedies for alleviating the condition
Effective ways to treat bronchitisare folk remedies. Very often they not only alleviate the patient's condition, but also contribute to the disappearance of the disease. Their advantage is also that folk methods can be used as independent and separate procedures, and in combination with medications. Milk has been considered an effective method for coughing since ancient times. A hot drink promotes better expectoration. And if you add oil, ginger or sage to it, the disease will disappear quickly. It is recommended to drink milk at night, as well as about 4 times a day. Various fruit drinks and drinks help to increase immunity. And therefore, they will be indispensable as an additional therapy to the main treatment. Warming compresses greatly alleviate the patient's condition. They are not recommended for use at a temperature. For compresses, use heated vodka, flour, honey, dry mustard or pork fat. You can use ready-made mustard plasters from the pharmacy. For small children, dry mustard is put in socks as a warming agent, or the chest or legs are smeared with special warming baby creams. Compresses from boiled warm potatoes, herbal decoctions, warming foot baths, a mixture of onions and honey, gargling with soda, black radish juice - all these remedies have long been known for their healing properties. They can be used during bronchitis. They can significantly improve the condition. With timely diagnosis and proper treatment, the disease can be cured in the shortest possible time. And early prevention of sinusitis and other manifestations of a runny nose will not allow the disease to progress. A healthy lifestyle has a great influence on the prevention of bronchitis. Hardening, moderate physical activity, and good nutrition help strengthen the immune system. In any case, treatment of bronchitis should not be postponed until later. Consultation with a specialist is necessary at the first signs of the disease. Only correct and timely treatment can relieve pain.
