Chronic Bronchitis – What Exactly Is It?

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The clinical definition of Chronic Bronchitis is a chronic cough that produces phlegm (also called sputum) and that persists for at least three months for two years in a row, without the presence of any other disease that could be causing the cough.

Chronic Bronchitis is classified as one of two COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) conditions, with the other condition being emphysema. What happens when a person has chronic bronchitis is that the air passages in his/her lungs, called bronchial tubes, are inflamed and thickened. As a result of this inflammation, his/her lungs produce excessive mucous which makes breathing difficult and causes shortness of breath. This mucous also causes daily coughing as the body tries to get rid of the phlegm.

Chronic bronchitis may cause damage to the lungs, and this damage can worsen over time. People that have chronic bronchitis typically suffer from it on and off for months or years, and this condition may progress into emphysema or other complications. Chronic bronchitis has been diagnosed in over 12 million Americans – that is, 1 in 22 – and 12 million more people probably has it and hasn’t found out yet.

This condition affects people of all ages but is most prevalent in people over 45 years old. Chronic Bronchitis and emphysema are responsible for over 120,000 deaths in the US every year. Of people diagnosed with chronic bronchitis, 50% will die within 10 years after being diagnosed.

To learn more about chronic bronchitis, please read these other chronic bronchitis articles on our website:

Chronic Bronchitis Natural Treatment – Some ways to relieve your chronic bronchitis symptoms naturally without taking medicine.

Chronic Bronchitis Prevention - How to prevent chronic bronchitis from developing in the first place.

Chronic Bronchitis Cures – Although there isn’t a clinically recognized cures for chronic bronchitis, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t other ways to combat this condition.

Chronic Bronchitis Treatments – The various methods of treating chronic bronchitis.

Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Bronchitis – How it happens and how to avoid triggering it.

Risk Factors of Chronic Bronchitis – A list of things that can cause chronic bronchitis, and who are at risk of developing this condition.

Diagnosis of Chronic Bronchitis – Various tests that the doctor uses to diagnose chronic bronchitis.

Chronic Bronchitis Signs and Symptoms – Not sure if you have chronic bronchitis or not? Check this list of signs and symptoms!