Symptoms of tracheitis

One of the most common respiratory diseases is tracheitis, which is caused by some infections that affect lung function. Everyone knows that if you have tracheitis, you will have coughing, which is the most obvious symptom. Secondly, there will be phlegm when you cough, and sometimes there will be wheezing symptoms. The early symptoms of tracheitis are relatively mild. It is generally easy to occur in winter and will improve in spring. Let us understand the symptoms of tracheitis.

Everyone should have some understanding of the symptoms of tracheitis. We know that if you suffer from tracheitis, you will have coughing. Yes, this is the most obvious symptom. The harm of tracheitis in the early stage is not great. If it reaches the late stage, the symptoms will be very obvious, and the difficulty of treatment will also increase.

Clinical manifestations

1. Cough

It is characterized by long-term recurrent coughing, which often occurs in cold seasons or when the temperature changes suddenly. Coughing is frequent in the morning and evening and is relieved during the day.

2. Coughing up phlegm

Most of the sputum is white sticky or white foamy, with more sputum in the morning and evening. When combined with infection, the amount of sputum increases and becomes mucopurulent.

3. Wheezing

Some patients may experience bronchospasm, causing wheezing, which often occurs during the acute phase.

4. Physical signs

In the early stage, there may be no abnormal signs or only coarse breath sounds. As the disease progresses, dry and wet rales can be heard in the lungs. During the acute attack period, the dry and wet rales increase significantly, and the rales may decrease after coughing and expectoration. Wheezing may be heard in asthmatic chronic bronchitis.

3. Inspection

1. White blood cell differential count

The total white blood cell count and differential count of patients in remission are mostly normal. The total white blood cell count and neutrophil count may increase during acute attacks with bacterial infection. The blood eosinophil count of patients with asthma may increase.

2. Sputum examination

During the acute attack period, the sputum is often purulent in appearance, and smear examination may reveal a large number of neutrophils. In patients with concurrent asthma, a larger number of eosinophils may be found. Sputum culture showed growth of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis.

3. X-ray examination

There may be no obvious changes in the early stage. In patients with repeated acute exacerbations, the texture of both lungs may become thicker and disordered in a reticular, cord-like, or spotted manner, with shadows in the lower lung field being more obvious. This is due to thickening of the bronchial wall, infiltration of inflammatory cells or fibrosis in the bronchioles or alveolar interstitium.

4. Pulmonary function test

There is usually no significant change in the forced expiratory volume in one second and the ratio of forced expiratory volume in one second/forced vital capacity in the early stage. When airflow obstruction occurs, the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and the ratio of FEV1 to vital capacity (VC) or forced vital capacity (FVC) decrease (<70%). When the small airways are obstructed, the flow rate of the maximum expiratory flow rate-volume curve at 75% and 50% lung capacity may be significantly reduced, and the closing volume may increase.

4 Diagnosis

1. Often have a history of catching cold, excessive fatigue or other triggers.

2. Clinical manifestations include cough, sputum accompanied by chills, fever, headache and sore limbs.

3. The breath sounds in both lungs become coarser, with scattered dry and wet rales.

4. The white blood cell count is usually normal, and X-ray examination of the lungs usually shows normal or thickened texture.

We should pay attention to the symptoms of tracheitis, especially the early symptoms of tracheitis. If we find such symptoms, we should seek treatment in time, especially in winter, to prevent and avoid frequent attacks of tracheitis. This disease has already seriously affected our health. We should take precautions and patients should actively seek treatment.