Chronic bronchitis is a long term problem occurring as a result of swelling of bronchi, which results to excessive formation of mucous blocking the airflow into the lungs. To be labeled chronic bronchitis certain stringent rules need to be met these are:

-For two years consecutively cough with expectoration for at least of a time frame exceeding three months.

-Other lung pathologies must have been ruled out.

The most common problem that a patient is affected with is the shortness of breath so much so that it affects day to day activities.

One of the commonest factors causing chronic bronchitis is smoking, and smokers have a high susceptibility of the same. In the initial stages of the condition, the patient is troubled by severe cough in early hours of the day, but as the pathology of the condition changes towards long term is afflicted with continued bouts of cough with expectoration of mucus. This occurrence in layman terms] is known as smokers cough.

In the early phases of the disease the broader air ducts are affected, but finally even the smaller air passages are affected. As the chronic bronchitis reaches this stage the sufferer’s VP ratio (ventilation perfusion ratio) balance is affected i.e the ratio between inspiration and air breathed out. The results of this abnormal VP ratio lead to numerous problems like inadequate concentration of mixed air in blood or hypoxemia leading to enhanced complications like increased effort of breathing which if not checked finally leads to cor pulmonale.

As compared to acute bronchitis chronic bronchitis as the name points towards is a far dangerous condition, the patients suffering from acute bronchitis managed with antihistamines and antibiotics but the same holds true for chronic bronchitis because of enhanced chances of reoccurring bacterial and fungal infections.

Hence the patients suffering from chronic bronchitis are advised to take care of themselves and inform about the minutest of difficulties and get admitted into the intensive care units of hospitals till they feel better.

As the disease progresses there is decreased ciliary motility therefore the difficulty in coughing out the mucous, this coupled with inflammation of bronchi leads to decreased protection against air borne and droplet infections.

Chronic bronchitis is a difficult condition often occurring in tandem with other respiratory conditions like emphysema and asthma. And in advanced stages of chronic bronchitis coupled with emphysema there is an overall decrease in the dead space volume and the condition may lead to blue bloaters in which the whole skin has a bluish tinge or cyanosis for want of oxygen.

Chronic bronchitis as a respiratory condition progresses slowly but unfortunately it has no cure and the only treatments are directed in towards relieving of presenting symptoms.