Bronchitis Respiratory - Issues Regarding the Progression of Chronic Bronchitis
Chronic bronchitis refers to inflammation and infection of the bronchial tubes and mucosal membranes, generating an overproduction of mucus. The excessive production of mucus at the level of the respiratory tract is the body's inflammatory response to irritation and infection of the bronchia. Excess mucus perturbs the process of respiration by reducing the amount of air that is normally received by the lungs. Common symptoms of chronic bronchitis are: mucus-producing cough, difficult breathing, shortness of breath, chest pain and discomfort and wheezing.
The incipient stages of the disease, the symptoms of chronic bronchitis are usually perceived in the morning or during the night. In more advanced stages of chronic bronchitis, the entire respiratory tract becomes inflamed and obstructed with mucus, generating intense, persistent cough. This type of recurrent, highly productive cough is commonly referred to as "the smoker's cough". As the disease progresses, chronic bronchitis sufferers also experience pulmonary problems and they are at risk of developing serious lung diseases (pneumonia, emphysema). In time, people with chronic bronchitis may suffer from poor oxygenation of the blood and hypoventilation (shallow, accelerated breathing). Complicated forms of chronic bronchitis may also involve cyanosis as a result of poor oxygenation of the lungs. Cyanosis (bluish aspect of the skin) generally suggests the presence of emphysema or pneumonia.
Unlike patients who suffer from acute bronchitis, patients with chronic forms of the disease don't respond well to treatments with antibiotics. The excessive production of mucus at the level of the bronchial tubes facilitates the proliferation of bacteria and other infectious organisms, thus contributing to the progression of the disease. On the premises of repeated infections and compromised natural defenses of the respiratory system (cilia barriers), antibiotics are often ineffective in completely overcoming chronic bronchitis. Thus, the treatment of chronic bronchitis is focused towards relieving the already existent symptoms and preventing the development of further complications. So after reading what we have mentioned here on Bronchitis Respiratory, it is up to you to provide your verdict as to what exactly it is that you find fascinating here.
Although smoking alone can't be considered to be the cause of chronic bronchitis, the disease has the highest incidence in regular smokers. Smoking greatly contributes to the proliferation of bacteria and slows down the healing of the respiratory tissues and organs. Chronic bronchitis is often associated with asthma as well. Patients with chronic bronchitis who also suffer from asthma are even less responsive to specific treatments and they commonly experience symptomatic relapse. Sometimes, chronic bronchitis can be the consequence of untreated or mistreated acute bronchitis or other respiratory diseases. Chronic forms of bronchitis can also be developed by people who regularly expose themselves to airborne irritants such as dust, chemicals and pollutants.
Chronic bronchitis generates recurrent, time-persistent symptoms that intensify as the disease progresses. The main characteristics of chronic bronchitis are productive cough, increased susceptibility to bacterial and viral infections of the respiratory tract and low responsiveness to medical treatments. Chronic bronchitis usually lasts for up to three months and regularly reoccurs over the period of two years or more. In present, there is no specific cure for chronic bronchitis. Looking for something logical on Bronchitis Patients, we stumbled on the information provided here. Look out for anything illogical here.
Unless someone is diabetic, or very close to someone who is, they do not realize how life changing this disease can be. I believe one of the reasons this is, is because so many people are diagnosed with diabetes; that somewhere down the line, the seriousness of the disease, in people's minds, have diminished.
- Eddie, who is now 23, has kept his sugar under good control, (not tight, sadly -- but good) where he has not had to be hospitalized too often.
- He mainly has to go into the hospital when he gets a bad illness, such as the flu or stomach virus.
- When a diabetic's body is stressed with illnesses, it causes the blood sugar to go erratic.
- High blood sugars read off the chart, even when they have not been able to eat -- then their blood sugar may suddenly drop to a dangerous low.
- It also makes it more difficult to control because they are not able to eat, or maybe even drink.
- For diabetics, this is not an option.
- They are hospitalized where they can receive I.V fluids, and keep a close check on their blood sugar readings.
- Which sometimes means being pricked in the fingers up to 8 times a day, for several days in a row.
- Never be reluctant to admit that you don't know.
- There is no one who knows everything.
- So if you don't know much about Bronchitis, all that has to be done is to read up on it!
- Diabetes is a very serious and scary chronic illness.
- It is totally life changing for those diagnosed.
- Eating becomes literally a matter of life and death.
- And the way a person is use to eating is usually changed drastically.
As a Mother, Seeing Him Go Through All of this, Tore My Heart Out
When I did let him leave, I had to worry not only what every mother worries about when her children go off by themselves, but I had to worry if his sugar dropped too low, would he be able to make it home {b}in time{/b} to get something to eat? Even though he carried emergency glucose pills for low sugar, it does not work all the time. (Depending on how low his sugar is and if he is able to chew, and has enough sense to take them.) When your sugar drops extremely low, you are not aware of what you're doing. Many people have been suspected of being high on drugs, when it is their sugar causing the strange behaviour. It's a very scary thing to see, even more so do go through. I also had to worry if he would go off and drink sugar drinks and go to the store and get candy. This was not a simple concern, this could actually kill or disable him. When your sugar gets too high, you are damaging your organs -- and if you start spilling ketones, it becomes a very dangerous situation. It causes ketoacidosis which causes nausea, sometimes severe with projectile vomiting, stomach pains, confusion and drowsiness; because their body is over-worked and worn out. It's literally starving to death. They are also in danger of slipping into a diabetic coma. High sugar often does develop into Diabetic ketoacidosis -- (DKA) which is a life-threatening blood chemical (electrolyte) imbalance that develops in a person with diabetes when the cells do not get the sugar (glucose) they need for energy. As a result, the body breaks down fat instead of glucose and produces and releases substances called ketones into the bloodstream. Severe diabetic ketoacidosis can cause difficulty breathing, brain swelling (cerebral edema), coma, or death. This is also the time when diabetes is doing the most harm to all the organs -- which can lead to heart failure, kidney failure, blindness, neuropathy -- and the list goes on. Variety is the spice of life. So we have added as much variety as possible to this matter on Bronchitis to make it's reading relevant, and interesting!
Bronchitis – What to Do? -Was Over-Whelming
Three main meals a day and three snacks a day; mandatory, with a minimum of two shots daily for the rest of his life. To say we were under stress, would be putting it mildly. My son put on a brave face, but about the fourth day after he was diagnosed, I had a heart to heart with him. The poor baby thought he had brought the diabetes on himself and was being punished for something he said. Meanwhile, my nine-year-old at home was going through her own personal hell. After speaking to her, I found out she was scared to death that he was going to die, and that she was next. This came from two children whose parents did talk to them and tried to explain everything to the best of their ability.
- You are living with diabetes, please make sure you get the emotional help you so need and deserve.
- It's absolutely a necessity.
- You may have to live with diabetes, but make sure you have it under control, and that it does not control you.
- After all, it's a matter of life and death ' both physical and emotional.
- Every cloud has a silver lining; so consider that this article on Bronchitis to be the silver lining to the clouds of articles on Bronchitis.
- It is this article that will add more spice to the meaning of Bronchitis.
All these changes he was going through, made him feel like he was different than the other children. He was afraid to spend a night for quite some time after being diagnosed; because if his sugar went up too high at night,
dry cough causes him to wet the bed. Something that an eleven-year-old would be horrified to do in front of his friends. We also had to make sure if he did go spend the night with a friend, that they had plenty of food. (Though, his back pack would be packed with extra food for snacks, it couldn't contain the main meals.) We also had to let the parents know he was diabetic, where they could keep an extra eye out. This would sometimes turn into a nightmare, as Eddie did not want to go around announcing he was diabetic. He also didn't like being treated differently if a mother was handing out sugared drinks or sugared snacks to the other kids. Did you ever believe that there was so much to learn about Bronchitis? Neither did we! Once we got to write this article, it seemed to be endless.
These emotional issues are just as important to deal with as the physical disease itself. The emotional needs must be addressed. Not only the needs of the person diagnosed, but the whole family, and if it's a child, this includes the parents and siblings. The best way of gaining knowledge about Bronchitis is by reading as much about it as possible. This can be best done through the Internet.
Our Lives Became Rigid, At First -- as We Tried to Cope With the Changes
My son, Eddie, could not just run off and play at his friend's house whenever he wanted, or was allowed. He had to make sure he was home to take his shots on time, to eat the regular meals and the snacks in-between. He was a hard player, he had to learn that if he didn't eat like he was supposed to, wheather he was hungry or not, he would end up getting shaky. If he did not get something in him quickly to raise his blood sugar, he may slip so low that an ambulance would have to be called to save his life, if I wasn't there with an emergency glucagon (intra-muscular sugar water) shot -- as he would get extremely lethargic and not be able to communicate, or to understand what was going on around him. We worked as diligently as an owl in producing this composition on Bronchitis. So only if you do read it, and appreciate its contents will we feel our efforts haven't gone in vain.
He Has Always Been Hyperactive, So Even When He Was Sick, He Was Active
I started to notice he was looking a little pale and losing weight, even though he ate constantly. I made him a doctor appointment for the next opening, which wasn't until a month away. All of a sudden he started wetting the bed. The urine had a very strong odor. He also started complaining of headaches. At first I thought the complaints, was just an excuse for the eleven-year-old to stay out of school. But when they became so severe, I knew they were real. The second day his headaches were so severe, he stayed home from school. He presented no other symptoms, but he slept all day long. This was enough to definitely make me realize something was extremely wrong. I got out my diagnosis health encyclopedia books and after a few hours, I came down to two diagnosis, kidney trouble or diabetes, (this was before I became a nurse, so I was going only by his symptoms and the words on the page). It was about 6:30 at night, when I told my husband something was terribly wrong and I was taking our son to the emergency room.
Hurts me now, as it has since the day he was diagnosed, to know that he may soon be experiencing some very bad health problems because of the diabetes. Problems start to arise mostly after being diabetic for five years. We are living on borrowed time with decent health -- as he now has had diabetes for twelve years. When he says his chest hurts him, I don't think, "Oh no, he may be getting bronchitis." I think, "Oh Lord, please let it be something as simple as bronchitis." When he tells me his feet hurt and his whole body aches -- I know it may be a sign of neuropathy. At 23 he experiences pains and aches no young adult should have to face. But I praise God for each day that goes by where he is still able to work and live life as close to a young adult as he possibly can. God has spared us from him having any serious conditions. I know that may change any day, but I can relish in each day it does not. Go ahead and read this article on Bronchitis. We would also appreciate it if you could give us an analysis on it for us to make any needed changes to it.
When We Arrived At the Emergency Room, My Son Had a Hard Time Keeping His Eyes Opened
We were finally called to the back, where they started running several tests. Sure enough he was diagnosed with Type 1 Juvenile Diabetes. His blood sugar was well over 600. Normal blood sugar levels range from 90-110. The reason he was sleeping so much was because he was trying to slip into a diabetic coma. The doctor said that if I didn't bring him in when I did, he would have went into a coma that night. They admitted him to ICU and kept a vigil on him for three days as insulin was delivered through IV. That was the day our lives changed forever; especially my eleven-year-old son's.
Diabetes Causes Such a Wide Array of Secondary Illnesses
Including stunting growth in a growing child. Eddie lost a whole year of growing. When he was 13, he had the bones of an 11 1/2 yr. old. He was put on intra-muscular testoterone shots at home. Which he took a lot better than most adults would, every night for six months.
Then There are the Emotional Changes Diabetes Puts Them Through
The anger, restlessness, nervousness, inpatience -- imagine it, and it is effected. It plays roulette with their hormones, causing their emotions and temperment to go into extreme modes. Sadly, this seems to be most of the time. All this happens in all diabetics, but I am concentrating on Type 1, Juvenile Diabetes. Type 1, Juvenile on-set, varies from Type 2, adult on-set, because with type 1, your pancreas does not produce any insulin at all. With Type 2, it produces insulin, but not sufficient enough, or at a normal rate. There is sure to be a grin on your face once you get to read this article on Bronchitis. This is because you are sure to realize that all this matter is so obvious, you wonder how come you never got to know about it!
The emotional stress one goes through seems to get ignored and lost in the endless information and directions of how to now live your life. This is not just merely staying alive ' it's trying to stay alive without ending up blind, on kidney dialysis, with severe nerve damage, or amputation, just to name a few. The more readers we get to this writing on Bronchitis, the more encouragement we get to produce similar, interesting articles for you to read. So read on and pass it to your friends.
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