Acute Exacerbation Of Chronic Bronchitis

By Author: Amy Cheung
Total Articles: 28
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Sometimes, for a person with chronic bronchitis, the symptoms will swiftly get worse without warning. This is called an acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis, or AECB. Most people who pass away from this disease does so while suffering from an incident of AECB, therefore a person experiencing an attack of AECB needs medical care as soon as possible to increase the patient's chances of survival.

What Occurs During AECB?

In an episode of an AECB, the previously abnormally narrow air sacs in one's lungs become even thinner, and even more more profuse mucous is secreted. The condition will result in a person's breathing to become all the more difficult. This may possibly occur simultaneously with a slight fever, chills and cold, and a sense of weakness in one's knees. If the unexpected acute exacerbation is due to bacterial infection, the liquid expelled at expectoration can be accompanied by blood, or tinged with a more vivid than normal green or yellow. If the person is experiencing fever, and has discovered blood in his/her mucus, there is a possibility the doctor will order a chest x-ray to make sure that other ...
... factors such as pneumonia is not the determining source of the symptoms.

What Triggers AECB?

Cases of AECB are frequently triggered by a combination of the following factors:
-Bacterial or viral infections (e.g. cold, flu)
-Air pollutants that aggravate the respiratory system (e.g. smoke, fumes, dust)
-Rapid changes in weather

To protect oneself from AECB, a person with chronic bronchitis is advised to avoid areas with heavy air pollution, to obtain pneumonia and flu shots, as well as to maintain a proper nutrition to strengthen one's immune system from infectious agents.

If you are experiencing AECB, you should pursue hospital care immediately. This condition has been observed to result in other diseases, as well as many are admitted to the hospital annually due to complications from AECB. If you are suffering from this disease, remember not to panic. Keep your breathing as steady as possible, and levelheadedly call a physician or doctor for medical care. Because this condition can occur unpredictably without preamble, it is strongly recommended to keep any inhalants prescribed by your doctor on you in emergency situations. Remember to ask your doctor, and make sure that such inhalers are fine to take during an attack of acute exacerbation, to avoid any additional complications. You may benefit from lying on your back with a humidifier turned on, or hopping in a hot shower to improve your breathing and alleviate the symptoms of AECB.
To grab a copy of Amy's Free Chronic Bronchitis eBook, and read more articles related to Treatment of Chronic Bronchitis, please click here to visit her chronic bronchitis website.