The most prominent symptom of chronic bronchitis is

When suffering from respiratory diseases, you need to know the cause of the disease in order to use the correct medication. Chronic bronchitis is a common disease, but what are the most prominent symptoms of chronic bronchitis? Coughing can be said to be one of the most obvious symptoms of chronic bronchitis. Coughing is less common during the day and becomes more severe at night. During medical diagnosis, bronchial congestion and edema will be found. If not treated in time, the cough will become more difficult to treat as the condition worsens.

Chronic bronchitis symptoms diagnosis

1. Symptoms of chronic bronchitis:

Symptoms often develop slowly and the course of the disease is long. Some patients have a history of acute respiratory infections such as acute bronchitis, influenza or pneumonia before the onset of the disease, and develop this disease due to prolonged illness. The main symptoms are chronic cough, sputum production and shortness of breath or wheezing. Symptoms are mild at the beginning, but as the disease progresses, acute attacks become more frequent and symptoms become more severe due to repeated respiratory tract infections, especially in winter.

1. Cough:

In the early stage, the cough is more severe in the morning, lighter during the day, and even more obvious at night in the late stage. There are often coughing attacks before going to bed, accompanied by sputum. This is caused by congestion and edema of the bronchial mucosa and accumulation of secretions in the bronchial cavity. As the disease progresses, the cough persists all year round.

2. Coughing up phlegm:

Sputum is more common in the morning and is usually white, mucous or serous and foamy, and may occasionally contain blood. This is mostly due to a sluggish cough reflex during sleep at night, accumulation of phlegm in the airway cavity, and stimulation of phlegm discharge due to changes in body position after getting up in the morning. When an acute attack is accompanied by bacterial infection, the amount of sputum increases and the sputum becomes viscous or purulent.

3. Shortness of breath and wheezing:

The symptoms are not obvious in the early stage of the disease. When the disease progresses and is combined with obstructive pulmonary emphysema, shortness of breath of varying degrees will gradually appear, especially after activities. Patients with chronic bronchitis combined with asthma or the so-called asthmatic chronic bronchitis often experience wheezing symptoms, especially during acute attacks, and are often accompanied by wheezing.

2. Physical signs:

There are usually no abnormal signs in the early stages, or scattered dry and wet rales may be heard at the lung base. The rales may disappear after coughing and expectoration. During the acute attack period, the number of rales in the lungs may increase, and the number depends on the condition. Patients with chronic bronchitis and asthma may experience widespread wheezing and prolonged exhalation during acute attacks. Patients in the late stage often have signs of emphysema due to concurrent emphysema; see the section on obstructive pulmonary emphysema.

3. Diagnostic criteria:

Diagnosis is based mainly on history and symptoms. After excluding other heart and lung diseases (such as tuberculosis, pneumoconiosis, bronchial asthma, bronchiectasis, lung cancer, heart disease, heart failure, etc.), the diagnosis can be established in patients with chronic or recurrent cough, sputum or wheezing that lasts for at least 3 months each year and for two consecutive years or more. If the disease lasts less than three months each year, a diagnosis can be made if there is clear objective examination evidence (such as X-ray, lung function, etc.).

The diagnosis can be made based on cough, sputum or wheezing that persists for 3 months each year for 2 years or more, and when other heart and lung diseases (such as tuberculosis, pneumoconiosis, asthma, bronchiectasis, lung cancer, lung abscess, chronic nasopharyngeal disease, heart disease, heart failure, etc.) can be excluded. If the disease lasts less than 3 months each year, a diagnosis can be made if there is clear objective examination evidence (such as X-ray, lung function, etc.).

4. Classification:

1. Classification:

According to the 1979 National Chronic Bronchitis Clinical Professional Conference, chronic bronchitis is divided into:

Symptoms include coughing and expectoration.

Meet the diagnostic criteria for chronic bronchitis, with wheezing symptoms and frequent or multiple wheezing. (Currently, most people believe that this type should be considered chronic bronchitis combined with asthma).

2. Installment:

The disease can be divided into 3 stages according to its progression:

It refers to the appearance of purulent or mucopurulent sputum within 1 week, a significant increase in sputum volume, or accompanied by inflammatory manifestations such as fever, or a significant aggravation of any of the symptoms of cough, sputum, or wheezing.

Refers to people who have varying degrees of cough, sputum, and wheezing symptoms that persist for more than one month.

: After treatment or natural relief, the symptoms basically disappear or there is occasional mild cough and small amount of sputum, which lasts for more than 2 months.