How to determine that bronchitis is passing. Bronchitis and colds: how to distinguish one disease from another? Methods of therapy for different forms of the disease

What is the difference between bronchitis and pneumonia? These two infections are similar symptoms, their main symptom is a cough and it is often not easy to recognize them yourself at home. Both diseases are caused by viruses, bacteria and fungi. Main difference between bronchitis and pneumonia at the site of inflammation. If with bronchitis in pathological process involved bronchial tree, then pneumonia affects the lungs (that is, bronchitis - inflammation of the bronchi, pneumonia - the lungs).

It is important to know how one infection differs from another in order to apply for it in time. medical care and start treatment, otherwise the consequences can be very dangerous, even fatal.

To understand how far the inflammatory process has gone, and to distinguish pneumonia from bronchitis, you need to figure out what structure the respiratory system has. It consists of the upper and lower respiratory tract.

The upper respiratory tract includes:

• the nasal cavity, through which air enters the body and exits;
• paranasal sinuses;
• pharynx, in which 3 sections are distinguished: nasopharynx, oropharynx and laryngopharynx;
• The larynx connects the pharynx with the trachea, it has a vocal apparatus and an epiglottis, which prevents food from entering the respiratory system.

The lower respiratory tract includes:

• the trachea or windpipe connects the larynx to the left and right bronchus;
• bronchi;
• lungs.

Gas exchange does not take place in the bronchi air currents enter the lungs. They also warm, purify and humidify the air. In structure, they differ from each other: the left bronchus is divided into 2 parts, which corresponds to 2 lobes of the left lung. The right bronchus has 3 branches, as well as right lung 3 shares.

Each bronchus has smaller branches called bronchioles that end in acini. This is where gas exchange takes place.

Thus, when infected drops of saliva are inhaled through the nose, the pathogen first enters the bronchi and only then into the lungs. Therefore, inflammation of the bronchi may end in recovery, and not go down further and not go into pneumonia, which is considered as a consequence of bronchitis. It matters for correct setting diagnosis and prescribing an adequate treatment regimen.

Types of bronchitis and clinical picture

Most often, the causative agent of bronchitis is viruses, but often due to weakened immunity against the background of the disease, conditions are created for activation opportunistic bacteria, resulting in the development of inflammation of a mixed nature.

Fungal forms of infection develop very rarely, mainly against the background of primary and secondary immunodeficiencies.

Depending on the course of the disease, two forms of bronchitis are distinguished:

1. Spicy. It starts unexpectedly, has a bright severe symptoms and with proper treatment, on average, lasts from 7 to 10 days. After this time, the bronchial tissues are restored and complete recovery occurs after 3 weeks. In turn, this form of the disease, depending on the degree of blockage of the lumen of the bronchi, is divided into non-obstructive and obstructive bronchitis.
2. Chronic. With this course of infection, the inflammatory process in the bronchi is observed for 3 or more months.

Depending on the form of the disease and the age of the patient, the clinical picture may differ.

In acute bronchitis, there may be an increase in temperature up to 38 degrees, which usually lasts no more than 3 days. The disease is accompanied by a dry cough, aggravated during a night's sleep and taking horizontal position body. After a while, clear, yellowish or greenish sputum may appear. When the obstruction is attached, respiratory failure develops, which, depending on the stage, may be accompanied by a blue nasolabial triangle and nail plates, shortness of breath that occurs even when talking.

In chronic bronchitis, the clinical picture is blurred, its main symptom is an unproductive cough, which is most often observed in the morning after a night's sleep. It is also possible to experience shortness of breath after physical exertion.

Clinical picture of pneumonia

Signs of pneumonia can vary significantly depending on the causative agent of the infection, the age of the patient and his condition. immune system. The disease may have a pronounced clinical picture, or it may be asymptomatic or atypical.

The development of pneumonia may indicate the following symptoms:

• rise in temperature above 38 degrees, which does not subside for more than 3 days;
• chest pains;
• increased breathing and heart rate;
• productive cough, which may be accompanied by hemoptysis;
• lack of appetite;
• fast fatiguability;
• redness of the cheeks against the background of general pallor skin;
• cyanosis of the nasolabial triangle and darkening of the nails.

Does pneumonia hurt the lungs? By themselves, they cannot get sick: they do not have nerve endings. Pain receptors are localized in the bronchi, pleura and trachea, it is because of them that pain is observed when coughing and breathing.

It happens that the symptoms of bronchitis and pneumonia are blurred, and both diseases can proceed without fever and cough, which is worse than when they are. Often this course of infections is observed in young children. How, then, to recognize a child with bronchitis or pneumonia? Parents should be alerted by a change in the behavior of the baby: lack of appetite, passivity, capriciousness, weight loss.

Main differences

As you can see, the symptoms of pneumonia and bronchitis are often similar. Sometimes there are no symptoms of infection at all. In this case, the question arises of how to distinguish bronchitis from pneumonia. Only a doctor can do this.

The main differences between bronchitis and pneumonia are as follows:

1. Bronchitis is most often caused by viruses, while bacteria cause pneumonia. To determine the type of pathogen, a sputum examination is prescribed under a microscope, its serological and bacteriological analysis is carried out.
2. It is possible to distinguish bronchitis from pneumonia using x-ray. With inflammation of the lungs, foci of blackout can be found on it.
3. A doctor can distinguish bronchitis from pneumonia in an adult and in a child when listening in the chest: wheezing with inflammation of the bronchi - whistling, with involvement in the pathological process of the lungs - wet and dry.
4. Although breathing with bronchitis and pneumonia quickens, and both infections are accompanied by wheezing, with inflammation of the bronchi, they can be heard even at a distance without the use of a phonendoscope.
5. When the bronchi are involved in the pathological process, edema and scarring can be detected on them, when the lung tissue suffers, fluid accumulates in the alveoli.

Although the symptoms of bronchitis and pneumonia in adults and children are basically the same, main feature which indicates the involvement of both lungs in the pathological process - this is not the ability to bring down body temperature with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as paracetamol, aspirin, ibuprofen.

Therapy of infections is also different if it was possible to find out that bronchitis has viral etiology, then antibiotics are not prescribed, since there is no point in prescribing them. If pneumonia is suspected, antibiotic therapy is always prescribed.

Diagnostic methods

On the basis of one clinical signs it is often difficult to tell how bronchitis differs from pneumonia in children and adults, as these infections can occur atypically.

In making the correct diagnosis, the doctor is assisted by the collection of anamnesis, examination of the patient, the results following analyzes and research:

• a radiograph on which darkened areas of the lungs can be found, when they are not there, then bronchitis is diagnosed;
• complete blood count, which will show the presence of inflammation, an increase in ESR;
• clinical analysis of urine;
• blood biochemistry;
• sonography of the chest organs;
• bronchoscopy.

Depending on the clinical picture, other studies may be prescribed, for example, computed tomography.

Often people unrelated to medicine are tormented by questions about whether bronchitis can turn into pneumonia and what is more dangerous. Yes, without proper treatment, the inflammatory process can spread from the bronchi to the lung tissue. It is impossible to answer unequivocally how quickly bronchitis turns into pneumonia. It depends on the age of the patient, the state of the immune system. Especially often bronchitis can turn into pneumonia in infants, the elderly, and also in patients with various forms immunodeficiency.

Bronchitis turning into pneumonia can be indicated by a sharp rise in temperature after treatment, inflammation of the bronchi and an improvement in the patient's well-being.

In this case, you should immediately apply for medical assistance because the consequences can be very severe. After all, if bronchitis can most often be treated at home, then with pneumonia, hospitalization is usually required, since the disease is dangerous and can result in the death of the patient.

Can there be bronchitis after pneumonia? Yes, this is also possible. The fact is that immunity after infection is weakened and secondary infection is possible. Sometimes the pathological process can simultaneously occur in the bronchi and lungs.

In any case, if there are signs of bronchitis and pneumonia in adults and children, you should not self-medicate, since both of these infections can cause severe complications. expose correct diagnosis and only a specialist can choose an adequate treatment regimen. If you take drugs without a doctor's prescription, then the clinical picture may be blurred, which will make it difficult to diagnose and the therapy will be prescribed incorrectly.

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Sometimes the most common cold develops into bronchitis, which requires more serious therapy. To avoid consequences and complications, you should know how to distinguish bronchitis from a cold.

Causes of the disease

Bronchitis is a disease in which the walls of the bronchi, more precisely, their mucous membranes, become inflamed. In most cases, bronchitis is a complication that has developed against the background of SARS or a cold. However, such a disease can appear on its own.

There are several reasons that provoke the development of bronchitis. The main one is considered weak immunity. For example, in a person who has had a cold, the immune system is greatly weakened, he is not able to resist infections that affect the bronchi. To prevent bronchitis, you need to treat SARS in time, creating a medical barrier to inflammation.

Scientists from America recently conducted Scientific research. In almost half of the cases, bronchitis resulted from severe runny nose. The infection through the throat got into the bronchi and hit the mucous membrane, after which the discharge began more slime that was meant to clear Airways in which foreign viruses have entered. However, sometimes too much mucus is secreted, the passages of the lungs are clogged, which leads to the appearance of the main symptom of bronchitis - painful cough, which seems to tear a person from the inside. Sometimes it is very difficult to understand the cause of a cough, since such a symptom is characteristic of both the flu and the common cold.

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Signs of the disease

Only a specialist can accurately diagnose. A person should not start treatment without a visit to the doctor. You should consult a therapist if:

• a cough appeared, usually dry and obsessive;
• the temperature has risen;
• feeling weak.

The therapist, listening to the bronchi with a stethoscope, will be able to recognize hard breathing and scattered rales.

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Differences between bronchitis and a cold

If bronchitis is mild, it can be easily cured without any complications. If the disease has been started, the disease progresses to chronic stage, the next stage of which is asthma. In case of bronchitis moderate a person has shortness of breath and chest pains are felt. Therefore, inflammation of the bronchi must be stopped at early stage. The main nuances that will help distinguish bronchitis from SARS and colds:

1. With a cold, a person has a dry cough for up to 3 days, and with bronchitis, the symptom persists for more than 2 weeks.
2. Respiratory colds are often accompanied high temperature that doesn't last long. If the temperature is observed for more than a week, this indicates that the infection has spread to the lungs and bronchi.
3. If the patient constantly coughs at night, whistles, wheezing are heard in his chest, difficulty breathing is indicated, this is a signal that bronchitis becomes obstructive, when less sputum is secreted, and spasm occurs in the vessels. In the case of a common cold, sputum should be profusely coughed up after 3 days.

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Diagnosis and treatment of bronchitis

If the acute form of bronchitis is not treated, then the disease becomes chronic, or pneumonia develops. Most often, such diseases are observed in elderly people or children. The doctor can determine bronchitis after listening to the breath, observing the patient's condition.

A sputum test is also taken, with the help of which the pathogen is determined. To exclude others, more serious illnesses prescribed x-ray, fluorography. The main thing is to timely distinguish bronchitis from a cold.

In 90% of cases, bronchitis was provoked by a viral infection. Accordingly, to cure inflammation of the bronchial mucosa, antibiotics are almost never used. The patient, visiting a doctor, should tell what kind of cough he has, how sputum comes out, what color it is. For bronchitis, a specialist usually prescribes an expectorant to help remove phlegm. Cough suppressants may be prescribed.

To confirm the diagnosis, bronchoscopy is sometimes prescribed, in which they examine how external respiration functions.

Often, in the treatment of a disease in a child, inhalations with a nebulizer are used. As solutions used for inhalation, ACC, flumicip, lazolvan, mineral water, saline. You can take other medicines that will relieve inflammation of the bronchial mucosa, and also reduce the viscosity of sputum. The patient should drink as much fluid as possible, due to which the bronchial mixture is diluted and removed from the lungs.

Herbs (decoctions) with expectorant properties have shown their effectiveness in the fight against bronchitis in a child. green tea to which you can add honey, lemon, mineral water. If a person is tormented coughing, You can also try carrot juice in which to put some honey. However, for people who have impaired liver function, it is undesirable to consume this drink in large quantities.

What are the reasons for the development of this disease? Environmental factors include smoking, occupational hazard, pollution environment, alcohol abuse, low social and economic status, viral infections, bacteria and allergies. There are also internal causes that provoke symptoms of low birth weight, a genetic predisposition.

Clinical manifestations of the disease

The main complaints of the patient are cough and shortness of breath. With bronchitis, signs of infectious toxicosis can also be observed: subfebrile temperature body, headache, and general weakness. Main clinical manifestations diseases are respiratory disorders. in adults it is characterized by an elongated wheezing and dry wheezing, which can be heard even at a distance. The duration of the acute form of the disease can reach three weeks, and in the case of repeated exacerbations of symptoms, the patient is diagnosed with chronic obstructive bronchitis.

Examination of patients

The long course of the disease, which is accompanied by development, can be expressed by such signs: shortening of the neck, bulge of the chest, horizontally located ribs, protrusion of the supraclavicular spaces. At severe course diseases, swelling of the cervical veins during exhalation is possible. Complications such as heart and respiratory failure can cause the following symptoms of obstructive bronchitis: lower extremities, cyanosis of the skin, especially on the tip of the nose, toes and hands, lips and auricles and epigastric pulsation. In order to alleviate the condition, patients take a sitting position.

Lung examination

Percussion of the chest reveals the expansion of the lungs and a decrease in the mobility of their lower part. When listening, you can determine the lengthening of the exhalation and vesicular breathing, as well as dry wheezing. Respiratory disorders can lead to tachycardia and increased blood pressure. With an excess in the blood carbon dioxide symptoms of obstructive bronchitis such as insomnia, decreased appetite, increased sweating, and headache that worsens at night may be observed. Complications of the disease include pneumonia, acute respiratory failure and chronic cor pulmonale.

Treatment Methods

First of all, it is necessary to exclude factors that contribute to the progression of the disease. During exacerbations, patients are prescribed antibiotic therapy based on the results Special meaning have expectorants, the action of which is aimed at improving sputum production. Relieve the symptoms of obstructive bronchitis effectively helps low calorie diet limiting carbohydrate intake. It is very useful to carry out inhalations, acupressure and different kinds therapeutic treatment including electrophoresis. Help improve quality of life spa treatment with a coastal climate, which is prescribed only during the period of remission of the disease.

Bronchitis is the most common disease respiratory system person. The morphopathological basis of bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchial walls.

The term chronic bronchitis this moment is considered incomplete and is increasingly being replaced by another, more clinically complete term - chronic obstructive bronchopneumopathy (COBP). This term defines the whole complex pathological changes occurring in the lungs in case of chronic inflammation of the bronchi.

The term bronchiolitis defines acute inflammation of the small caliber bronchi and bronchioles. Most often, bronchiolitis occurs in childhood and old age when spreading infectious process from bronchi to bronchioles.

Methods for diagnosing acute bronchitis

In clinical and diagnostic terms, acute bronchitis is the mildest disease. Diagnostics acute bronchitis does not require complex research methods and can be carried out on the basis of patient complaints and objective data obtained during examination and clinical examination sick.

Clinical picture acute bronchitis consists of a short prodromal period in the deterioration of the patient's well-being, sore throat, discomfort behind the chest. Further, the appearance of a painful cough is noted. In the first days of the illness, the cough is dry. In the following days, the cough becomes productive (there is a secretion of mucous and purulent sputum). The body temperature can rise to 38 o C. When the bronchi of small caliber are involved in the process, the patient complains of difficulty in breathing.

Clinical diagnostics the patient allows to reveal wheezing during auscultation. As a rule, acute bronchitis is preceded by an episode of hypothermia or overwork.

The evolution of COPD is represented by alternating periods of exacerbation and remission. Exacerbation of the disease is observed in the cold season. This period is characterized by an increase in cough, an increase in body temperature, worsening general condition sick.

The development of the asthmatic form of COPD is characterized by the appearance of mild asthma attacks.

During a clinical examination of the patient, attention is paid to the condition of the skin (cyanosis), fingers (fingers in the form drumsticks- sign chronic deficiency oxygen), the shape of the chest (barrel-shaped rib cage with emphysema).

Violations of the pulmonary circulation can be expressed by the appearance of edema, enlargement of the liver. The appearance of these signs indicates an extremely unfavorable development illness.

Additional Methods studies in chronic obstructive bronchopneumopathy
Additional research methods used in the diagnosis of chronic obstructive bronchopneumopathy are aimed at clarifying the degree of respiratory and cardiovascular systems present in this disease.

Determination of the gas composition of the blood. On the early stages COPD blood gas parameters (carbon dioxide and oxygen concentrations) remain within the normal range. Only a decrease in the gradient of alveolo-arterial diffusion of oxygen is noted. For more late stages disease development gas composition blood undergoes significant changes: there is an increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide (hypercapnia) and a decrease in oxygen concentration (hypoxemia).

Spirometry- violation of the parameters of the functioning of the respiratory system is observed in the later stages of the development of COPD. So, in particular, a decrease in FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in 1 second) and the ratio of FEV to the vital volume of the lungs are determined. Also characteristic is an increase in total lung capacity in parallel with an increase in residual volume (the amount of air remaining in the lungs after a forced expiration), which indicates air retention in the lungs characteristic of emphysema.

Radiological diagnostics- reveals morphological changes lung tissue: emphysema of the lungs (increased transparency of the fields of the lungs), the severity of the pattern of the lungs with pneumosclerosis, the expansion of the roots of the lungs. On the onset pulmonary hypertension there is an expansion pulmonary artery and right ventricle.

Electrocardiogram (ECG)- allows you to identify characteristic changes in the work of the heart - arrhythmias, deviation electrical axis hearts to the right.

Bronchoscopy- is one of the most informative methods diagnosis of chronic bronchitis and chronic obstructive bronchopneumopathy. Bronchoscopy is the introduction of a fiber-optic imaging system into the bronchi, which allows you to see inner surface bronchi, to collect materials for microbiological and histological examination. Bronchoscopy determines the deformation of the walls of the bronchi, the presence of signs of chronic inflammation, the presence in the lumen of the bronchi purulent discharge, bronchiectasis, etc.

chronic bronchitis and initial stages chronic obstructive bronchopneumopathy should be differentiated from tuberculosis, lung tumors, chronic pneumonia, bronchial asthma.

Bibliography:

• Ivanov E.M. Topical issues chronic bronchitis, Vladivostok, 2005
• Kovalenko V.L. Chronic bronchitis: Pathogenesis, diagnosis, clinical and anatomical characteristics, Novosibirsk, 1998
• Tsvetkova O.A. spicy and chronic bronchitis, pneumonia, M. : Russian doctor, 2002

This publication will tell you how to identify the signs of bronchitis in an adult and children with and without fever. Learn how to recognize the causes of the disease, when it begins, what are the first symptoms that appear with the onset of chronic or acute inflammation bronchus. Plus, you will find out what Dr. Komarovsky says about the treatment of babies.

Inflammation of the bronchi is not life-threatening, but without appropriate therapy, complications arise that pose a serious threat to health, such as pneumonia. Therefore, the symptoms and treatment depend on the type of disease.

There are certain signs of bronchitis that accompany inflammation in both adults and children. Know about the evidence that the body develops dangerous disease very important. Early diagnosis and proper treatment help avoid negative consequences.

Bronchitis: symptoms and treatment in adults

Signs of bronchitis in an adult are often observed against the background of an annoying cough and slight increase temperature. Symptoms appear from the first moments of the development of the disease. Doctors classify them according to the type and type of inflammation.

Signs of bronchitis in an adult without fever

The inflammatory process of the bronchi in an adult usually occurs in conjunction with elevated temperature. When the disease is without fever, this indicates that its course takes place in mild form or the body is not responding adequately to an infection. Exist certain symptoms, by the occurrence of which the disease is recognized.

You can determine the signs of bronchitis in an adult without a temperature if you are attentive to them:

• persistent cough with secreted mucus;
• malaise;
• rapid fatigue;
• shortness of breath with little physical exertion;
• deterioration in well-being in a supine position;
• wheezing is heard.

Experts say that the causes of signs of bronchitis, which pass without important symptom the adult is immunodeficient.

How bronchitis manifests itself in children (Komarovsky)

Children can pick up infectious inflammation in any public place by airborne droplets. Turning to the doctor, the specialist listens to the lungs and examines the signs of the child in order to understand what therapy to prescribe.

Dr. Komarovsky claims that with inflammation of the bronchi in babies, one should not allow the formed mucus to dry out and wait until the body itself begins to fight the disease.

• frequent ventilation;
• wet cleaning;
• plentiful warm drink;
• reduce the temperature of the room where the patient is located.

To drug therapy are expectorant syrups. Sometimes bacteria are the cause of inflammation. Then it should be treated with antibiotics, as the kids have a high temperature and breathing becomes more difficult. Symptoms of bronchitis in children begin with typical symptoms viral infection. With proper therapy, recovery usually occurs within two weeks.

How to identify chronic and acute bronchitis

According to how the disease proceeds in adults and children, it is divided into chronic sharp shape. The doctor recognizes the symptoms of how bronchitis manifests itself and prescribes treatment.

Main features chronic type are frequent bronchitis that start lingering cough with phlegm. Chronic form looks like alternating periods of exacerbation and remission. X-ray signs at the same time, they are visible only in long-term ill patients.

Aggravation inflammatory process in adults and children most often comes in the cold season. A frequent sign is also progressive shortness of breath during the period of physical effort, the appearance of which is associated with a gradual deformation of the bronchial tree.

Sometimes the disease can pass without symptoms. X-rays are recommended to confirm the diagnosis. With long-term therapy chronic inflammation progresses to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Symptoms of acute bronchitis include a dry cough that begins to develop into a wet one. Accompanied by inflammation necessarily high fever, headache, weakness. With the right treatment, the disease in adults lasts 7 days and ends with an absolute recovery.

How to recognize bronchitis in a baby

This problem in infants is not uncommon. This is explained by the fact that up to a year the child has a rather short respiratory tract and a loose submucosal layer. Most often at infants the disease has a viral etiology.

Signs that require parental attention include:

• difficulty breathing of the baby, accompanied by crying;
• wheezing wheezing;
• discoloration between the folds under the nose.

Imperfection of immune mechanisms in children under 3 years of age predisposes to the onset of the disease. Weak muscles chest center prevents adequate ventilation of the lungs and normal excretion sputum from the bronchi.

At 2 years, the disease develops most often after viral infections or allergic reaction to the irritant. In this case, inflammation is accompanied by coughing to vomiting and wheezing.

The disease in children under 4 years of age is acute, obstructive and bronchiolitis. To recognize it and learn how to treat it, you should do the appropriate tests.

Understanding why bronchitis happens, you need to try to eliminate all possible causes of the disease. These include: strengthening immunity, changing jobs or quitting smoking. Great importance in prevention has physiotherapy, walking on fresh air, breathing exercises.