Treatment of bronchitis is symptomatic. This means that its main goal is not to cure the disease but to relieve the symptoms it produces. Exactly for this reason, the use of antibiotics is not always necessary, especially if the origin of the bronchitis is viral.
As indicated in the MSD Manualthe prognosis is excellent. Therefore, it is essential to go to the doctor and follow his instructions to get an improvement. This, along with good self-care, can go a long way towards overall relief and well-being.
Before going into the treatment, let’s briefly review some aspects that will help to better understand the reason for this therapeutic strategy for bronchitis.
Respiratory System
During the respiratory movements, THE lungs they shrink and expand thanks to the intercostal muscles and the diaphragm. Likewise, there is a significant change in internal pressure relative to that of the external environment, creating drafts.
On the other hand, the body has a series of ducts or channels through which the air passes. This way, the lungs are not directly connected to the outside. During inhalation, air passes from the nasal (or oral) cavity to the pharynx and up to the larynx.
bronchi
The trachea then branches into two large bronchi (one for each lung) and bronchioles. Thus, a minimal amount of air contacts the alveoli, where it travels to join the bloodstream. The latter process occurs in the case of oxygen, which is coupled to red blood cells.
Instead, during the deadline, unabsorbed gases and carbon dioxide are expelled. The latter is a waste substance.
Bronchitis
However, there are pathogens that can accumulate in the bronchi, irritating them and producing an infection. In general, they have a viral or bacterial origin. It can also be due to toxic substances, such as tobacco smoke.
In them, patients experience a variety of alterations or discomforts. For example: persistent cough with mucus, pressure in the chest, shortness of breathrhinitis, etc.
treatment of bronchitis
A number of treatments have been developed which they have the ultimate goal of relieving symptoms of the patient and neutralize the infection. However, it only completes in acute (short-lived) bronchitis while during the chronic bronchitis it is not eliminated completely (it has a long duration).
Bacterial or viral bronchitis
If the infection has a bacterial origin, appropriate antibiotics will be administered. These will always be recommended by the corresponding medical team, i.e. we must avoid self-medication. Likewise, any guidelines that the doctor mentions (such as time of intake, etc.) should be followed.
Instead, if the disease is caused by a virus, no drugs can be prescribed to neutralize them directly. There are still no chemical compounds that attack this type of pathogen.
Instead, the body is able to adapt and create new antibodies specific ones that destroy viruses. As a general rule, the patient experiences a great improvement after one week of infection, the response time of the immune system.
Bronchodilators and other drugs
On the other hand, it’s worth mentioning bronchodilators. This kind of drugs increase the diameter of the blocked bronchi, allowing the patient to breathe easier. Likewise, its administration must be supervised by the specialists concerned.
Your doctor might prescribe a variety of medications to lower a fever if it occurs. These compounds include acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and acetylsalicylic acid or aspirin. However, the use of aspirin in children is not recommended.
Furthermore corticosteroids will be used to control and try to reduce the inflammation of the bronchi. These types of compounds are inhaled according to the guidelines recommended by the medical team.
Another group of drugs, antitussives reduce the gag reflex cough in severe cases. However, it must be administered under strict supervision, since if the mucus is not expelled from the ducts, the pathology can worsen.
other tips
Bronchitis treatment also includes maintaining good lifestyle habits. First of all, it’s worth noting the importance of maintaining good hydration.
A a healthy and balanced diet combined with an abundant supply of liquids. Thus, the mucus loses its concentration and its elimination is easier. On the other hand, with a controlled diet we avoid nutritional deficiencies that could develop other alterations.
Also the use of oxygen may be advisable. It is used in the most serious clinical cases, in which the patient breathes with difficulty and feels a constant sensation of suffocation.
Other usual recommendations is avoid the consumption of smoke or environments with a large amount of contamination. This can irritate the respiratory tract.
What if there is an underlying pathology?
If another underlying condition is found, treatment will depend on the problem that led to the bronchitis. For that, it would be necessary tests designed to study the bronchial tree and the chest cavity. Exercise measurements are sometimes done to measure the expansion of the lungs during exercise.
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