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Bronchitis

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Submitted By jhayvenhall
Words 1256
Pages 6
Karim Hall
Bronchitis
Florida Technical College

Abstract
Bronchitis is one of the top 10 conditions for which most patients seek medical care for. Some physicians show considerable variability in describing the signs and symptoms when it is necessary to its diagnosis. A cough is also a most common symptom bringing patients to the primary care physician’s office, and bronchitis is usually the diagnosis in these patients. However, studies have indicated that many physicians treat bronchitis with antibiotics. These drugs have generally shown to become ineffective in patients with complicated bronchitis. A patient satisfaction with their treatment of bronchitis is related to the quality of the physician-patient interaction rather than to the prescription of an antibiotic.

Bronchitis
Bronchitis is an inflammation of the membrane that lines the air passages, or, bronchial tubes, of the lungs and results in the narrowing of these air passages. This disorder may be of either an acute or chronic type. Irritation of mucus-producing glands within the membrane results in the production of excess bronchial secretions. The main symptoms of bronchitis are cough and increased expectoration of sputum, with or without associated wheezing and shortness of breath. Men are more of a target to bronchitis then most women, men out numbering them 10 to 1 for reasons that are unclear.
Acute bronchitis is a self-limited infection of the lower respiratory tract causing inflammation of the bronchi. Acute bronchitis is an acute illness lasting less than three weeks with coughing as the main symptom, and at least one other lower respiratory tract symptom such as wheezing, sputum production, or chest pain. Most coughing, which is a common symptom of acute bronchitis develops in any attempt to expel the excess mucus from the lungs. Other common symptoms of acute bronchitis can include a:

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