Symptoms of Asthmatic Bronchitis

Asthmatic bronchitis is an illness which has been long-lasting enough that it has become more entrenched in the respiratory system. The patient is tired and fatigued, has a fever, headache and possibly, nausea. He is coughing frequently and the cough is sharp and hacking. The airways often become restricted by mucous and inflammation. When the muscle bands around the bronchi constrict, this causes the patient to feel even more short of breath.

If the patient has not visited his doctor even after his bronchitis has become asthmatic in nature, he is running a sharply heightened risk of acute bronchitis, pneumonia and/or sinusitis. Other complications can include chronic bronchitis and asthma (chronic). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, in which the lungs and bronchioli are subject to sudden, severe restriction is another complication. Other complications can include a chronic "wet" cough and GERD, or gastro-esophageal reflux disease.

Some better known causes of asthmatic bronchitis include smoking--the patient is a smoker or, as a nonsmoker, is subject to second- and third-hand smoke. Environmental toxins, such as pollution, smokestack emissions, dust, animal dander and dust mites contribute to the incidence of asthmatic bronchitis. Other risk factors can include a tendency to develop bronchitis from the common "chest cold." When these become chronic and asthmatic bronchitis results, the airways can become scarred, which makes the condition worse.

Short of hospitalization, the patient has to begin to recognize his symptoms when he is becoming ill. Once he knows he is coming down with bronchitis again, he needs to go to his doctor, be examined and receive a diagnosis and prescriptions. Some of these can include antibiotics, if the infection is bacterial; inhalers and/or steroid treatments. The steroids can be in an inhaler form or oral, sometimes given in a "burst" treatment--the highest dose is taken the first day, with steadily decreasing dosages for the next five days. The patient will be advised to drink plenty of water, use a cool-mist vaporizer and to take cough medication.

Asthmatic bronchitis is not an illness to play around with--if it is not treated promptly, the patient runs an increasingly higher risk of developing chronic asthma, pneumonia or a condition known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which means that the lungs have been permanently damaged. Even worse, the patient can develop emphysema, which leads to decreasing lung capacity or lung function. In short, the patient is consigning himself to living with an oxygen tank and a decreased quality of life. It is to the patient's benefit to recognize his symptoms and get prompt medical treatment.