Have you ever had a cough or known someone with a persistent cough that didn’t actually have a cold? More people are suffering from moderate to severe coughs that aren’t cured by over-the-counter cough medicine or prescription cough medicine.
Just this weekend I rushed my mother to the emergency room for chest pains. Her pulse rate was high and she had an overall ill feeling. To be on the safe side, the doctors did treat her as a cardiac patient but after serveral questions and tests, the doctors concluded it was most likely some type of inflammation. It was bronchitis. Specifically, bronchitis caused by severe allergies.
What is Bronchitis
Bronchitis occurs when there is inflammation of the mucus membranes of the bronchi. This is the airway that carries airflow to the lungs. When the bronchi is irritated it swells which causes an increase in mucus, additional resources. An increase in mucus will began to block the airflow in and out of the lungs.
Symptoms
The most common symptoms of bronchitis is a cough lasting more than a few weeks, chest pains, a productive cough (mucus), fatigue, fever and/or chills.
Brochitis Caused by Allergies
My mother does not smoke. Although it’s said that smoking is the leading cause of bronchitis, allergy and sinus sufferers come close to the main cause. It all starts off as an itchy throat. You’re constantly clearing your throat or coughing to get some type of relief. Some have a drip like feeling in the back of their throat. Have you ever had a day when you started to say something and each time you had to clear the mucus out of your throat? If you don’t clear up your allergy and sinus problems it could turn into an infection which could also lead to bronchitis. In my mother’s case, she had a cough for three months. It all started off with the drip like feeling in the back of her throat. She was constantly coughing up mucus. It eventually turned into a cough that just would not go away. She was taking prescribed cough medicine for three months. About a week ago she began to stay in bed. Fatigue was taking over. Then one day she woke up with chest pains and began to feel worse through out the day. By the time we made it to the emergency room her blood pressure was high, her pulse rate was high, and she was dehydrated. After giving her some fluids and a breathing treatment, she began to feel better. The doctor prescribed some antibiotics to treat the inflammation.
Untreated bronchitis could lead to pneumonia. Do not take your cough lightly even if you know it’s caused by sinus or allergies.If over-the-counter and prescribed cough medications does not clear up your cough, then you should ask your doctor if it could be bronchitis.