Is Bronchitis Contagious?
Monday, October 22nd, 2007Get Rid from the Anxiety of Contagiousness Brought By Bronchitis
Inflammation of the respiratory tract that includes the trachea and the bronchus is known as bronchitis. This may be caused by viral or bacterial infection or constant exposure to pollutants (such as smoking and air pollution). There are two kinds, acute and chronic bronchitis.
Acute bronchitis usually takes place right after an infection of the upper respiratory tract has occurred like a sinus infection or the common cold. As for chronic bronchitis, there is no exact microorganism that can be pinpointed as a cause but smoking and environmental pollutants are believed to be the major culprits which then may be followed by bacterial or viral infection as the immune system becomes vulnerable.
Bronchitis is the swelling of the bronchial tubes, otherwise known as the airways. These airways are the windpipes that directly connect to the lungs. Bronchitis happens when there is an irritation that occurs in the bronchial tubes. Next to the irritation, the formation of thick mucus will soon follow. Hence, the air passage will be blocked by the mucus, leading to difficulty in breathing. Bronchitis can be identified into two types: acute and chronic. The acute bronchitis is normally an illness that lasts for a short period of time. Usually, this is caused by severe cold. But most often, this is triggered by the viral infections. Acute bronchitis is characterized by the pain in the middle of the chest, cough that comes with green sputum. Fever might also happen, and a slight difficulty in breathing might also occur.
(more…)
