Bronchitis

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Bronchitis	Bronchitis and Normal Condition in Tertiary Bronchus	Cause of Acute Bronchitis	Cause of Chronic Bronchitis
COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder)	Lung anatomy	Lungs

Inflammation - bronchi

The symptoms of either type of bronchitis include:

• Cough that produces mucus; if yellow-green in color, you are more likely to have a bacterial infection
• Shortness of breath worsened by exertion or mild activity
• Wheezing
• Fatigue
• Fever -- usually low
• Chest discomfort

Even after acute bronchitis has cleared, you may have a dry, nagging cough that lingers for several weeks.

Additional symptoms of chronic bronchitis include:

• Frequent respiratory infections (such as colds or the flu)
• Ankle, feet, and leg swelling
• Blue-tinged lips from low levels of oxygen

• Rales (abnormal sounds in the lungs) or other abnormal breathing sounds may be heard by your doctor on lung examination with a stethoscope.
• Pulmonary (lung) function tests  provide information useful for diagnosis and prognosis.
• Pulse oximetry is a device connected to your finger that displays the amount of oxygen in your blood.
• Arterial blood gas  is a more exact (but more painful and invasive) measurement of oxygen and carbon dioxide levels.
• Chest x-ray  
• Sputum samples  may be taken, to check for evidence of inflammation or bacterial infection .

Review Date: 10/31/2005
Reviewed By: Frederic F. Little, M.D., Department of Allergy and Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.