What are the symptoms of chronic tracheitis

Chronic bronchitis causes great pain to many patients, and if they suffer from this disease for a long time, other adverse symptoms may develop, such as increased degree of emphysema and difficulty breathing, which will pose a great threat to the patient's health.

1. Some patients with chronic bronchitis have a history of acute respiratory infections such as acute bronchitis, influenza or pneumonia before the onset of the disease. Patients often develop the disease in cold seasons, with symptoms of coughing and sputum, especially in the morning. The sputum is white, mucous, foamy, and sticky and difficult to cough up. In acute respiratory infections, symptoms rapidly worsen. The amount of sputum increases, the viscosity increases or becomes yellow and purulent, and occasionally there is blood in the sputum. After repeated attacks of chronic bronchitis, the responsiveness of the vagus nerve receptors in the bronchial mucosa increases, the parasympathetic nerve function becomes hyperactive, and allergic phenomena and wheezing may occur. As the disease progresses, the patient coughs and produces sputum all year round, and the symptoms worsen in winter and autumn. Patients with asthmatic bronchitis often have asthma-like attacks and are short of breath and unable to lie flat when symptoms worsen or secondary infections occur. Dyspnea is generally not obvious, but after the onset of emphysema, as the severity of emphysema increases, dyspnea gradually increases.

2. Simple chronic bronchitis, X-ray examination is positive, or only the texture of the lower part of the two lungs is thickened, or cord-like, which is a sign of hyperplasia and thickening of the bronchial wall fibrous tissue. If combined with peribronchitis, there may be spot shadows overlapping it. Bronchial iodized oil contrast often shows bronchial deformation, some are narrow, some are columnarly dilated, and some are truncated due to sputum retention. Due to the contraction of the surrounding scar tissue, the bronchi may close together and form bundles. Sometimes small diverticula can be seen in the bronchial wall, which is a manifestation of dilation of the openings of the mucous glands. In clinical practice, fluoroscopy or plain radiographs are sufficient to make a clear diagnosis. Bronchial iodized oil contrast is only used for special studies and is not a routine examination.

3. Bronchiectasis: Chronic bronchitis recurs repeatedly, the bronchial mucosa becomes congested and edematous, ulcers form, the fibrous tissue of the tube wall proliferates, and the lumen becomes more or less deformed, dilated or narrowed. The expanded part mostly changes into columnar shape. Bronchiectasis that develop after whooping cough, measles, or pneumonia is often columnar or cystic and is more severe than bronchiectasis caused by chronic bronchitis.

4. Obstructive pulmonary emphysema: It is the most common complication of chronic bronchitis, in which the patient's alveolar wall fibrous tissue diffusely proliferates. Combined with the narrowing of the lumen and sputum obstruction, exhalation is difficult and obstructive pulmonary emphysema may occur.