what is bronchitis

Emphysema Bronchitis - Quit Smoking Side Effects - Part 3

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This final installment of the side effects of quitting smoking, I want to cover some of the more positive things that you can experience from quitting smoking. There may be many unpleasant side effects that you experience from nicotine withdrawal but there are also many positive reasons why you should be putting a lot of effort into quitting smoking.

Quit Smoking Side Effect #9: Reduced Cancer Risk

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Tobacco smoke contains tar that is a collection of thousands of chemicals, some benign but many of them are carcinogenic. One of the most carcinogenic chemicals found in tobacco smoke is benzene. There are strict laws in the US ans across Europe regarding its handling and who can handle it because it is so carcinogenic. When you stop smoking, you stop putting benzene and the other chemicals directly into your body. This has an immediate effect on reducing your cancer risks. A rolling stone gathers no moss. So if I just go on writing, and you don't understand, then it is of no use of me writing about Bronchitis! Whatever written should be understandable by the reader.

• Quit Smoking Side Effects #11: Reduced risk of stroke  Many smokers do not think about stroke as a major threat to them.
• Most smokers have some idea of cancer, heart disease and emphysema and bronchitis but strokes don't figure on their radar.

The Other, More Terrifying COPD Ailment is Emphysema

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Emphysema is a disease where the elasticity of the lungs is lost through the damage done by tar and hot smoke to the lung tissue over years of smoking. The lungs effectively stop working and rather than being flexible like balloons, become stagnant like plastic bags. People with emphysema effectively suffocate to death over a period of a few years. It is not a very nice disease so stopping any further progress of lung deterioration has got to be a good thing.

Stokes are often fatal but is you survive a stroke, it will leave you suffering the inability to walk or being unable to speak, unable to feed, clothe or wash yourself, partially paralysed, incontinent or worse. In bad cases, sufferers end up with more than one of these symptoms. Reducing the risk of turning your family into nurses for you is another great benefit to quitting smoking.

Quit Smoking Side Effect #8: Heart Risks Down

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The moment you stop smoking is the moment you stop stressing your body with the stimulant effects of nicotine. Nicotine elevates adrenalin levels, suppressing insulin, raising heart rate, breathing rate and blood pressure. All of these things are stress responses and stopping them happening so often means you reduce the stress on your body which is a good thing. Ignorance is bliss, is it? Isn't it better to learn more than not to know about something like Emphysema Bronchitis. So we have produced this article so that you can learn more about it!

Quit Smoking Side Effect #10: Stop COPD Progress

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COPD is Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. It basically means "long term inefficiencies in the lungs disease". One of the two main COPD ailments are bronchitis; inflammation of the bronchus and bronchi - the air tubes that you breathe through. When these inflame, the air tubes become narrower, restricting the flow of air and your ability to breath. It is with much interest that we got about to write on Emphysema Bronchitis. So we do hope that you too read this article with the same, if not more interest!

What is bronchitis?   Acute inflammation of the bronchi, or the airways connecting the windpipe to the lungs, which causes shortness of breath, chest congestion, coughing, and mucous expulsion.

What are the Natural Remedies?

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Avoiding smog, dust, pollen and tobacco smoke are known to be helpful in preventing bronchitis, but if an bronchial infection occurs, there are several natural remedies and treatments worth considering.

• Mix one teaspoon each of dried THYME, SAGE, and HYSSOP into a cup of hot water to create a tea to be drunk throughout the day.
• The expectorant qualities of ONION help thin mucous.
• Simply swallow a tablespoon of raw onion juice in the morning to relieve bronchial congestion.
• Time and tide waits for no man.
• So once we got an idea for writing on Acute Bronchitis, we decided not to waste time, but to get down to writing about it immediately!
• EUCALYPTUS OIL, known for its warming properties and effectiveness in treating respiratory disorders, works wonders against bronchitis.
• Put a few drops of the oil into a washcloth and soak it in warm water.
• Closing eyes to avoid irritation, place the cloth over the nasal passage and inhale the soothing oil.
• Repeat every few hours for three to four minutes.
• Interesting is what we had aimed to make this article on Bronchial Infection.
• It is up to you to decide if we have succeeded in our mission!

What Causes It? and Who's At Risk?

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Bronchitis is usually caused by the same pesky bacteria that cause the flu, and the common cold. People with low immunities, the elderly, and those already suffering from respiratory disorders are more susceptible, as are those with lingering cold, flu or sinus infection.

What are the Symptoms?

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There are two types of bronchitis: acute and chronic.  Acute bronchitis, the most common type, develops quickly, and though the symptoms can be severe, the infection usually clears up within a few weeks. Typical symptoms include: shortness of breath, tightness in the chest, and coughing accompanied by thick, yellow or green phlegm. As the information we produce in our writing on Natural Bronchitis Cures may be utilized by the reader for informative purposes, it is very important that the information we provide be true. We have indeed maintained this.

Anything chronic is considered to be a persistent, recurrent and lasting condition.   While chronic bronchitis has often been associated with allergies and/or asthma, there are many other causes that can trigger a bronchial infection. Asthma as we know is a lung disease that is characterized by asthmatic events triggered by a variety of factors which cause a constriction of the bronchial tubes and air passages.

Exposure to chemical fumes and odors may compromise an otherwise healthy respiratory system.  This in turn can lead to sensitivity to other environmental factors like dust, but also both primary and secondary tobacco smoke.  While the validity of the effects of secondhand smoke are continue to be debated, it has been shown to be an important breathing factor for those with a compromised respiratory system.  All of these factors can contribute to the chronic cough experienced by many asthma, allergy and bronchitis sufferers.

One Such Environmental Factor is Dust

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While dust is a common substance found everywhere, it's especially problematic for those of us who may have a compromised respiratory system.  A less than ideal breathing tract is found in people suffering with asthma, many allergies and yes even smokers.  What's been ignored in many cases however, is that exposure to chemicals can cause a sensitivity to environmental factors such as dust. It is of no use thinking that you know everything, when in reality, you don't know anything! It is only because we knew so much about Bronchial Infection that we got down to writing about it!

According to the Mayo Clinic, a well regarded medical facility, bronchitis and the resulting cough can also be caused from stomach acid irritating for food pipe or esophagus. This is better known as acid reflux disease.


Bronchitis Symptoms Slideshow: Chronic and Acute Bronchitis, Cough

• Chronic cough, wheezing, breathing difficulties and a tight chest have also been associated with the common smoker's cough.
• This is unfortunate as there are many environmental factors that can contribute to an infection and caused these types of symptoms.
• Chronic Bronchitis came into being some time back.
• However, would you believe that there are some people who still don't know what a Chronic Bronchitis is?

Acid reflux can now be successfully treated with many medications.    If you think that someone you know may be suffering from a chronic cough caused by bronchitis or possibly asthma, it's important to understand the lifestyle implications this may involve.  The primary focus however, should be to get an accurate diagnosis from a qualified respiratory or pulmonary medical professional. After reading what was written here, don't you get the impression that you had actually heard about these points sometime back. Think back and think deeply about Bronchitis Often.