Harmful substances that enter the human body cause irritation of the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract. The result is a disease called bronchitis. Smokers are constantly exposed to tobacco smoke, so this disease in most cases occurs in them. An unobtrusive cough appears first, usually after smoking a cigarette. People do not attach serious importance to this moment and continue to smoke. In the future, the cough intensifies, new symptoms appear, it causes great harm to the body. Due to the frequency of similar cases, medical experts have identified a separate disease called smoker's bronchitis. This will be discussed in our material.
Terminology
Before you talk about the symptoms and treatment methods, you need to determine the concept. So, smoker's bronchitis is an ailment of the bronchopulmonary system, resulting from exposure to tobacco smoke. Most often, the disease affects people aged 30 to 40 years. It is during this period that the symptoms manifest themselves most clearly, which leads to the first problems. At 50-60 years of age, chronic smoker's bronchitis reaches its maximum. Each situation is individual, the number of cigarettes smoked per day and the length of the bad habit are of great importance.
The development of the disease occurs due to burns of the bronchial mucosa with tobacco smoke. Because of this, pathogenic microorganisms settle in the affected areas. In addition, a person has a decrease in immunity, since tobacco smoke contains poisons and toxins.
It is worth talking about the chronic form of the disease when a person coughs violently and constantly, and this lasts for two years. I must say that most cases of such a disease are chronic.
Causes of the development of the disease
In fact, the basis for the onset of the disease is only one - smoking. The bronchi work is disrupted as a result of the constant negative effects of smoke. Particles arise in the body that secrete an increased amount of mucus that we see when coughing. Accordingly, such an environment is favorable for the reproduction of bacteria and microbes. Those, in turn, parasitize in the body, forming a dangerous infection.
Often smokers have a wet cough. This is due to the presence of inflammation, which increases the amount of sputum produced. As a result, a person with a bad habit coughs in the morning, during the day, and even at night. A damp and humid climate can have a negative effect, the symptoms appear brighter.
The development of smoker's bronchitis depends on the severity of the factors. Among them are:
- experience and intensity of smoking, as well as the age of the person;
- working hours, ecology and state of immunity.
Anticipating the danger, a person should not delay to see a doctor. As you know, ignoring the disease in most cases leads to unpleasant consequences. What symptoms of smoker's bronchitis in adults can be observed?
Signs of the disease
Considering this ailment, it can be noted the absence of a large number of causes and signs. This is due to the specificity of the disease based on smoking. It is believed that people living in rural areas, despite their long experience, are much less likely to encounter the disease. This is true, because external factors (ecology and lifestyle) have a strong influence on the development of the disease.
Symptoms of chronic smoker's bronchitis include:
- cough;
- shortness of breath
- respiratory failure during exercise, fatigue.
The main symptom is cough. Without it, bronchitis cannot be imagined. The symptom is clearly expressed, the cough is quite loud and strong. It is observed after smoking a cigarette, but with the transition of the disease into a chronic form it may appear in a person in the morning and evening. If the disease has reached a maximum, then a cough is detected during the day, regardless of the time of day.
Stages of bronchitis
Smoker's chronic bronchitis can be divided into three stages, depending on the severity of the symptoms. Let's consider each of them in more detail:
- First stage. The moment when the smoker's cough begins to appear in the morning after sleep. At first, the sign is unobtrusive and weak, but after a while it intensifies, sputum appears. The emitted particles can be of different colors: from white to brown (sometimes pus may be present). After a while, shortness of breath occurs with moderate exertion, other diseases are difficult, cough gradually increases.
- Second stage. Here we are talking about morphological changes in the body. Dyspnea becomes permanent, even with little physical activity, sometimes it leads to fainting. It is difficult for a person to breathe, when inhaling, a sharp cough comes up to the throat, the heartbeat becomes more frequent.
- Third stage. It marks the beginning of obstructive pulmonary disease. At this time, the smoker begins to have serious problems, even when lying down it becomes difficult to breathe. Cough is observed constantly, profuse sputum comes out of the lungs, the symptom practically does not allow a person to rest. The body weakens, the body temperature rises, painful sensations appear in the chest area. As a result, respiratory failure develops, and there it is not far from death.
To avoid all these unpleasant symptoms, you need to solve the problem from the very beginning. We will talk about methods and methods for treating smoker's bronchitis a little later.
What is the danger of the disease?
As already noted, inhalation of tobacco smoke leads to burns of the mucosa. The fact is that cigarettes contain gaseous harmful substances that are very irritating to the shell; as a result, heavy metals settle on it. Stretchy tissue turns into scar tissue. This contributes to the appearance of injuries, which creates a favorable environment for the multiplication of bacteria and viruses. The composition of the blood changes, since it lacks oxygen.
The chronic form of bronchitis is particularly dangerous, because then the vessels narrow, and shortness of breath gradually turns into attacks of suffocation. Respiratory failure leads to a disruption in the functioning of the internal organs of a person. Under attack is the brain, heart, blood vessels and central nervous system.
The most serious consequence of smoker's bronchitis is the development of obstructive pulmonary disease. This process is irreversible if no action is taken. Only malicious smokers reach the third stage, and they can be every person with a bad habit. According to qualified doctors, if an individual became addicted to tobacco smoking as a teenager, by the age of 40 he may have the first symptoms of obstructive pulmonary disease. Often a bad habit provokes cancer and inflammation, bronchiectasis. Therefore, it is so important to deal with the timely treatment of chronic bronchitis of the smoker.
Will smoking cessation help?
Cigarettes adversely affect almost all systems of our body. In addition, the internal organs of a person suffer. Of course, the greatest harm is due to the lungs, respiratory system, oral cavity and nasopharyngeal mucosa. Therapy should be aimed at restoring destroyed particles and metabolism. In addition, it is necessary to periodically replenish the body with useful substances and vitamins.
The treatment of smoker's bronchitis should begin immediately after the onset of the first symptoms. The first recommendation from any pulmonologist will be the same - quit smoking. Modern medicine, despite all its achievements, cannot fight simultaneously with a disease and a bad habit. Therefore, the importance of the psychological component cannot be underestimated. A person must have strong motivation and will. Without this, any therapy cannot help you.
It is worth noting that quite often a complete rejection of cigarette consumption leads to the elimination of the symptoms of the disease, as a result the disease regresses. If you add to this medication, then bronchitis can recede forever. First of all, a person needs to deal with himself, because if he copes with the problem within himself, then a favorable forecast is guaranteed.
Diagnostics
It would seem that the diagnosis is simple, because you just need to look at the symptoms and collect an anamnesis. But actually it’s a bit more complicated. The doctor can detect the disease only after the patient undergoes a full medical examination. Each case is individual, but there are several procedures that all people with similar symptoms go through. We list them:
- chest x-ray;
- biochemical and general blood test;
- sputum analysis with bacteriological culture;
- antibiotic sensitivity test;
- spirogram and bronchoscopy.
Based on research data, a pulmonologist can draw a conclusion. Typically, these laboratory measures allow you to easily identify the disease. But in some cases, additional procedures may be necessary. How to treat smoker's bronchitis?
Drug therapy
The treatment of bronchitis depends entirely on the stage of the disease and the condition of the patient. It is worth noting that quite often a person can not cope with a bad habit and smokes until the end of his days. In such cases, treatment is carried out all my life, and it is aimed at eliminating respiratory failure. This is exactly the situation that we talked about earlier. Medicine cannot fight disease and smoking at the same time.
Doctors prescribe the following medications for smoker's bronchitis, which can relieve symptoms:
- drugs that expand the bronchial lumen;
- sputum ameliorating agents;
- medications to eliminate inflammation;
- antibacterial drugs.
If the patient develops obstruction, bronchodilators must be used. The most effective means of such a group include “Troventol” and “Atrovent”. In the absence of results, specialists prescribe Salmeterol and Berotek. It is worth noting that the attending physician is engaged in the treatment of smoker's bronchitis in adults. Taking any medication without his knowledge is strictly prohibited, because it is easy to spoil the situation, which will lead to complications.
When, along with a cough, the patient is regularly tormented by shortness of breath and difficulty in breathing, inhalation is usually prescribed with a nebulizer. In this situation, thermal herbal inhalations that have a beneficial effect on the respiratory system will be useful.
If a person suffering from bronchitis suffers from severe sputum, the doctor will prescribe mucolytics and expectorant medicines. They are used both during the height of the disease, and during a lull. As for antibiotics, they are recommended only in cases of exacerbation of bronchitis. For example, the appearance of pus in the particles released by coughing is a complication. Sometimes doctors prescribe immunostimulants (Taktivin) to improve the protective functions of the body. Vitamin therapy and taking medications that increase resistance to infections are very useful in this situation.
Smoker's bronchitis treatment with folk remedies
The main purpose of alternative medicine is the alleviation of symptoms and an additional contribution to the patient's recovery. Bronchitis is not an exception in this case. A specialist can say how to cure this disease, and with the help of folk recipes you can support the bronchopulmonary system and eliminate unpleasant symptoms. However, it is impossible to completely get rid of the disease using only alternative medicine methods.
To combat lung problems, infusions and decoctions of various herbs are often used. Consider the recipes for the treatment of smoker's bronchitis with folk remedies:
- herbal tea from chamomile and rosehip, you can add honey;
- decoction of thyme and dandelion flowers;
- infusion of rosemary with the addition of thyme, St. John's wort and licorice root;
- juice of black radish with honey;
- compresses based on animal fat and potatoes.
Decoctions of herbs are considered safe drinks, but this is not entirely true. Many of them contain essential oils that can cause allergies. In addition, some herbs have a lot of side effects. For example, they recommend the use of ledum, although it is considered a poisonous plant. St. John's wort also begins to exhibit negative properties with prolonged use. Therefore, in any case, you must consult a doctor. Self-medication has never brought anything good.
We must not forget about physiotherapy, massage and therapeutic exercises. Rubbing helps to get rid of sputum and accelerate recovery. Exercise improves the condition of the lungs and the whole body as a whole. Respiratory gymnastics is a mandatory component of treatment, experienced doctors recommend that you do not neglect it. If possible, it is better to engage with a specialist, but you can master the necessary techniques yourself.
Forecast
Treatment of the disease may end favorably. The patient will permanently get rid of cough and will significantly improve the quality of life. This alignment is possible if you strictly follow all the recommendations of doctors. In any case, the main problem is smoking. If the patient finds the strength to get rid of a bad habit, then the therapy will be successful.
Prevention
After completing the course of treatment, the former smoker needs to strengthen his position. The doctor will prescribe drugs to strengthen immunity and vitamins. In addition, we must not forget about the diet, it is necessary to switch to diet food. In order to quickly restore all respiratory functions, the patient should lead a healthy lifestyle, abandon all bad habits, and timely treat colds.
Ignoring the ailment can lead to dire consequences. Nicotine is a drug and has a detrimental effect on the internal organs of a person. Health is deteriorating, you can’t return it back, so think about it before smoking.
If bronchitis began to develop, you should immediately contact a specialist. You must understand that the meaning of therapy is lost when you continue to smoke. Only a complete rejection of cigarettes, coupled with competent treatment, can save the patient from the disease.
Alternative medicine methods are great as additional ones. In this article, we examined the symptoms and treatment of smoker's bronchitis in adults. This is a serious problem that is quite difficult to fix. To prevent the development of bronchitis of this type, it is better not to start smoking. And if you already use cigarettes, you should reconsider your views and stop ruining your health.