Dr. Ben Wedro practices emergency medicine at Gundersen Clinic, a regional trauma center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. His background includes undergraduate and medical studies at the University of Alberta, a Family Practice internship at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and residency training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.
Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.
Influenza, or the "flu," is an illness of the breathing
system (respiratory system) and muscles caused by a virus. While a vaccine is
available to prevent the flu, its effectiveness varies according to the degree
of match between the viral strains used to prepare the vaccine and those strains
actually in circulation in a given year. Not everyone receives the flu vaccine, and even
some of those who do can develop symptoms of the flu.
Mild cases of the flu may seem like common colds. But most cases of the flu
can be distinguished from colds because the symptoms (cough, muscle aches and
pains, sore throat, fatigue, and headache) are more severe than those of the
common cold. Flu symptoms also tend to occur suddenly and include high fevers
(temperatures of 101 F or more).
Air is pulled into the lungs when we breathe, initially passing through the mouth,
nose, and larynx (voicebox) into the trachea and continues en route to each lung
via either the right or left bronchi (the bronchial tree
- bronchi, bronchioles, and alveoli). Bronchi are formed as the lower part of the
trachea divides into two tubes that lead to the lungs. As the bronchi get farther away
from the trachea, each bronchial tube divides and gets smaller (resembling an
inverted tree) to provide the air to lung tissue so that it can transfer oxygen
to the blood stream and remove carbon dioxide (the waste product of metabolism).
Bronchitis describes inflammation of
the bronchial tubes (inflammation = itis). The inflammation causes swelling of
the lining of these breathing tubes, narrowing the tubes and promoting secretion
of inflammatory fluid.
Acute bronchitis describes the inflammation of the bronchi usually caused by a viral infection, although bacteria and chemicals also may cause acute bronchitis.
Bronchiolitis is a term that describes inflammation of the smaller bronchi referred to as bronchioles. In infants, this is usually caused by respiratory syncytial viruses (RSV), and affects the small bronchi and bronchioles more than the large. In adults, other viruses as well as some bacteria can cause bronchiolitis
and often manifest as a persistent cough at times productive of small plugs of mucus.
Acute bronchitis is as mentioned above, is a cough that begins suddenly usually due to a viral infection involving the larger airways.
Colds (also known as
viral upper airway infections) often involve the throat (pharyngitis) and nasal passages, and at times the larynx (resulting in a
diminished hoarse voice, also known as
laryngitis). Symptoms can include a runny nose, nasal stuffiness, and sore throat.
Croup usually occurs in infants and young children and involves the voice box and upper large airways (the trachea and large bronchi).
Chronic bronchitis for research purposes is defined as a
daily cough with sputum production for at least three months, two years in a row. Chronic bronchitis is a diagnosis usually made based on clinical findings of a long term persistent cough usually associated with tobacco abuse. From a pathologic standpoint, characteristic microscopic findings involving inflammatory cells in seen in airway tissue samples make the diagnosis. When referring to pulmonary function testing, a decrease in the ratio of the volume of airflow at 1 second when compared to total airflow is less than 70%. This confirms the presence of obstructive airways disease of which chronic bronchitis is one type. Certain findings can be seen on imaging studies (chest X-ray, and
CT or
MRI of the lungs) to suggest the presence of chronic bronchitis;
usually this involves an appearance of thickened tubes.
What causes acute bronchitis?
Acute bronchitis occurs most often due to a viral infection that causes the
inner lining of the bronchial tubes to become inflamed and undergo the changes
that occur with any inflammation in the body. Common viruses include the
rhinovirus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and the
influenza virus.
Bacteria
can also cause bronchitis
(a few examples include, Mycoplasma, Pneumococcus, Klebsiella, Haemophilus).
Bronchitis describes inflammation of the bronchial tubes. Smoking is a key
risk factor for developing acute bronchitis. Any other illnesses that predispose
to similar inflammation also increase that risk (for example,
asthma patients
and patients allergic to airborne chemicals).
Lung cancer kills more men and women than any other form of cancer. Eight out of 10 lung cancers are due
to tobacco smoke. Lung cancers are classified as either small cell or non-small
cell cancers.
GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) is a condition in which the acidified liquid
contents of the stomach backs up into the esophagus. The symptoms of uncomplicated GERD are heartburn,
regurgitation, and nausea. Effective treatment is available for most patients with GERD.
An upper respiratory infection is a contagious infection of the structures of the upper respiratory tract, which includes the sinuses, nasal passages, pharynx, and larynx. Common causes of an upper respiratory infection include bacteria and viruses such as rhinoviruses, group A streptococci, influenza, respiratory syncytial, whooping cough, diphtheria, and Epstein-Barre. Examples of symptoms of upper respiratory infection include sneezing, sore throat, cough, fever, and nasal congestion. Treatment of upper respiratory infection are generally with OTC medication and home remedies.
Chronic cough is a cough that does not go away and is generally a symptom of another disorder such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, sinus infection, cigarette smoking, GERD, postnasal drip, bronchitis, pneumonia, medications, and less frequently tumors or other lung disease. Treatment of chronic cough is dependant upon the cause.
Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degrees F. (37 degrees C.), in practice a person is usually not considered to have a significant fever until the temperature is above 100.4 degrees F (38 degrees C.). Fever is part of the body's own disease-fighting arsenal: rising body temperatures apparently are capable of killing off many disease- producing organisms.
COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) is a disorder that persistently obstructs bronchial airflow. COPD mainly involves three related conditions, chronic bronchitis, chronic asthma, and emphysema. Symptoms of COPD include chronic cough, shortness of breath, frequent respiratory infections, wheezing, morning headaches, and pulmonary hypertension. Treatment of COPD is focused on the related condition(s).
An allergy refers to a misguided reaction by our immune system in response to bodily contact with certain foreign substances. When these allergens come in contact with the body, it causes the immune system to develop an allergic reaction in people who are allergic to it. It is estimated that 50 million North Americans are affected by allergic conditions. The parts of the body that are prone to react to allergies include the eyes, nose, lungs, skin, and stomach. Common allergic disorders include hay fever, asthma, allergic eyes, allergic eczema, hives, and allergic shock.
Emphysema is a progressive disease of the lungs. The primary cause of emphysema is smoking. Alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency is a rare disorder that has a genetic predisposition to emphysema. Aging, IV drug use, immune deficiencies, and connect tissue illnesses are also risk factors for emphysema. Emphysema is a subtype of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COLD). Symptoms include shortness of breath and wheezing. Management of symptoms may be achieved with medications, quitting smoking, pulmonary rehabilitation, or surgery.
Polycythemia (elevated red blood cell count) causes are either primary (aquired or genetic mutations) or secondary (diseases, conditions, high altitude). Treatment of polycythemia depends on the cause.
Asthma is a common disorder in which
chronic inflammation of the bronchial tubes (bronchi) makes them swell, narrowing the airways. Signs and symptoms include shortness of breath, chest tightness,
cough and wheezing.
Influenza (flu) is a respiratory illness caused by a virus. Flu symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, headache, fatigue, and muscle aches. The flu may be prevented with an annual influenza vaccination.
Barrett's esophagus occurs as a complication of chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), primarily in white males. GERD refers to the reflux of acidic fluid from the stomach into the esophagus (the swallowing tube), and is classically associated with heartburn.
Chronic bronchitis is a cough that occurs daily with production of sputum that lasts for at least three months, two years in a row. Causes of chronic bronchitis include cigarette smoking, inhaled irritants, and underlying disease processes (such as asthma, or congestive heart failure). Symptoms include cough, shortness of breath, and wheezing. Treatments include bronchodilators and steroids. Complications of chronic bronchitis include COPD and emphysema.
Before treating a cold, the flu, or allergies with over-the-counter (OTC) medications, it's important to know what's causing the symptoms, which symptoms one wishes to relieve, and the active ingredients in the OTC product. Taking products that only contain the medications needed for relieving your symptoms prevents ingestion of unnecessary medications and reduces the chances of side effects.
Smoking is an addiction. More than 430,000 deaths occur each year in the U.S. from smoking related illnesses. Secondhand smoke or "passive smoke" also harm family members, coworkers, and others around smokers. There are a number of techniques available to assist people who want to quit smoking.
Smoker's lung photo essay is a collection of pictures and microscopic slides of lung disease caused by cigarette smoking. Smoker's lung refers to the diseases and structural abnormalities in the lung caused by cigarette smoking.
Drug resistance (antimicrobial resistance) is the ability of bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses to grow, even in the presence of a drug that would normally kill it (or limit it's growth). Drug resistance is a growing problem, particularly for infections such as MRSA, VRE (vancomycin-resistant enterococci), tuberculosis, HIV, STDs, gonorrhea, flu, pneumonia, malaria, E. coli, salmonella, Campylobacter, which causes diarrhea and gastroenteritis. Learn how to protect yourself from resistance to drugs.
Adenovirus infection, particularly Ad14, or the "killer cold virus" has been on the increase in the past two years. Symptoms range from those experienced with colds, sore throat, bronchitis, pneumonia, diarrhea, pinkeye, fever, bladder infection, and neurological conditions. Diagnosis and treatment options need to be discussed with your physician.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a highly contagious viral infection. Symptoms include fever and nasal congestion and discharge. Treatment focuses on supportive care.
Melioidosis (Whitmore's disease) is an infectious disease caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei bacteria. Symptoms include bronchitis, pneumonia, fever, headache, loss of appetite, cough and chest pain. Treatment involves antibiotics or surgical removal of the lung abscess in severe cases.
The lungs are primarily responsible for the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the air we breathe and the blood. Eliminating carbon dioxide from the blood is important, because as it builds up in the blood, headaches, drowsiness, coma, and eventually death may occur. The air we breathe in (inhalation) is warmed, humidified, and cleaned by the nose and the lungs.
If you have a COPD such as emphysema, avoiding chronic bronchitis and colds is important to avoid a more severe respiratory infection such as pneumonia. Avoiding cigarette smoking, practice good hygeine, stay away from crowds, and alerting your healthcare provider if you have a sinus infection or cold or cough that becomes worse. Treatment options depend upon the severity of the emphysema, bronchitis, or cold combination.
Secondhand smoke can cause illness and disease in nonsmokers. Some of these conditions include lung cancer, heart disease, respiratory illnesses such as asthma, SIDS, bronchitis, and pneumonia. Learn how you can protect yourself and your family from secondhand smoke exposure in the home environment and workplace.
Chronic cough is a cough that persists. Chronic cough is not a
disease in itself; rather it is a symptom of an underlying condition. Chronic
cough is a common
problem and the reason for many doctor visits.
What are causes of chronic cough?
Some common causes of chronic cough include
asthma,
allergic rhinitis, sinus
problems (for example sinus
infection), and esophageal reflux of stomach contents. In rare occasions, chronic
cough may be the result of aspiration of foreign objects into the lungs (usually
in children). It is very important to see a doctor who may order a chest
X-ray if a chronic cough is present. The following are common causes of
chronic coughing.
Cigarette smoking
actually is the most common cause of chronic cough.
Asthma is a disease of airways, resulting in difficulty breathing or
wheezing often characterized by abnormal breathing...