Asthma and bronchitis have similar Symptoms, but different causes. In both Asthma and bronchitis, the airways become inflamed. They swell up, making it harder for air to move into the lungs. As a result, less oxygen gets out to the organs and tissues. Too little oxygen causes symptoms like shortness of breath, coughing, and chest tightness.
Asthma vs Bronchitis
| Disease | Description | Causes | Signs & Symptoms | Treatment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asthma | Chronic disease Recurrent episodes of airway narrowing | Bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites Inflammation and swelling in the airways | Tightness in the chest, Shortness of breath and wheezing during an attack | Limiting exposure to triggers Inhaled corticosteroids are used Leukotriene modifiers and theophylline are used |
| Acute Bronchitis | Short-term Involves irritation of the mucous membranes | Viral infection Infection of the airway lining with a cough lasting 1 to several weeks | Hacking cough, with or without phlegm production | Goes away on its own Antibiotics are not necessary Use bronchodilators if wheezing accompanies the cough |
| Chronic Bronchitis | Chronic Disease Involves irritation of the mucous membranes | Bacterial and Viral both Cough lasting at least 3 months for 2 consecutive years | Persistent, phlegm-producing cough and wheezing | Use of steroids to reduce inflammation Treatment with antibiotics |
Asthma
Asthma is a chronic diseases which occurs in lungs. A condition in which a person’s airways become inflamed, narrow and swell and produce extra mucus, which makes it difficult to breathe.
If you are suffering from Asthma then your airways get so narrow that air can’t move freely. Tightened muscles constrict airway. This led to more production of mucus. It can cause serious wheezing and breathlessness, known as asthma attacks. There’s no cure, but most people can control their symptoms.
Your airways are always inflamed if you are suffering from asthma, but they become more swollen if something triggers your symptoms.
Asthma Symptoms
Symptoms may vary from person to person.
- Serious wheezing and breathlessness
- Chest pain or tightning
- Whistling sound when you breathe
- Coughing
- Trouble while sleeping caused by shortness of breath.
Symptoms of asthma come and go. Some people may have asthma that’s triggered by certain events, such as exercise, allergies, or even your workplace.
What actually causes Asthma?
Cause of Asthma is not clear but it may be due to the combination of Genes and environment. Genes that you carry from your parents makes airways sensitive to environment factors like pollen, dust, smoke etc.
You’re more likely to get asthma if you
- had a lot of respiratory infections as a child
- have allergies or the skin condition eczema
- are regularly exposed to chemicals or dust at work
- smoke or are often around someone who smokes
or - your parents have asthma or allergies
Things that triggers Asthma
Exposure to different types of elements can trigger allergies and increases the sign and symptoms of Asthma. Following are the elements that can trigger Asthma.
- Asthma can be triggered by airborne substances, such as pollen, dust mites, mold spores.
- Cold air can also trigger asthma symptoms.
- Irritants such as smoke
- Physical activities
- Infections such as common cold can also trigger symptoms.
- Stress
- Strong Emotions
- Certain medication such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and naproxen (Aleve) can also trigger asthma symptoms.
- Foods which has some added preservative such as shrimp, dried fruit, processed potatoes, beer and wine.
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a condition in which stomach acids back up into your throat.
- Changes in the weather
- Cockroaches
- Chemical fumes or gases at work
Diagnosis
A pulmonologist is a doctor who treats asthma and other diseases of the lungs.
Your doctor will do a physical exam and ask you questions about your signs and symptoms and about any other health problems.
Following tests are used to diagnose Asthma:
- Spirometry: You blow into a device that shows how well your lungs are working.
- Chest x-ray: This scan uses small amounts of radiation to create a picture of your lungs. A chest x-ray can look for growths in your lungs that might be causing your symptoms.
- Sputum tests: The doctor will take a sample of the mucus you cough up from your lungs. The sputum is tested for bacteria to find out if you have an infection.
After the test results if your doctor suspects that you have asthma he will recommend you to do the following tests.
- Allergy testing. This can be performed by a skin test or blood test. These tests can identify allergy to pets, dust, mold and pollen. If important allergy triggers are identified, this can lead to a recommendation for allergen immunotherapy.
- Methacholine challenge. Methacholine is a known asthma trigger that, when inhaled, will cause mild constriction of your airways. If you react to the methacholine, you likely have asthma. This test may be used even if your initial lung function test is normal.
- Provocative testing for exercise and cold-induced asthma. In these tests, your doctor measures your airway obstruction before and after you perform vigorous physical activity or take several breaths of cold air.
Treatment
There are no cure for asthma but it can be controlled by using proper medication.
Prevention and long term control helps in stopping asthma attacks before they start.
Medication depends upon number of factors such as age, symptoms, asthma triggers etc.
Long term medication reduce the inflammation in your airways that leads to symptoms.
Allergy medication is also used in some cases. Quick relief inhalers are used to open swollen airways which are limiting breathing.
Long Term Medication
These medicines are taken daily to make it less likely that you’ll have an asthma attack.
- Inhaled corticosteroids – These anti-inflammatory drugs include fluticasone (Flonase, Flovent HFA), budesonide (Pulmicort Flexhaler, Rhinocort), flunisolide (Aerospan HFA), ciclesonide (Alvesco, Omnaris, Zetonna), beclomethasone (Qnasl, Qvar), mometasone (Asmanex) and fluticasone furoate (Arnuity Ellipta).
- Leukotriene modifiers. These oral medications — including montelukast (Singulair), zafirlukast (Accolate) and zileuton (Zyflo) — help relieve asthma symptoms for up to 24 hours.
These medication have psychological reactions, such as agitation, aggression, hallucinations, depression and suicidal thinking. Seek medical advice right away for any unusual reaction.
- Long-acting beta agonists. These inhaled medications, which include salmeterol (Serevent) and formoterol (Foradil, Perforomist), open the airways.
They may increase the risk of sever asthma attack. They are recommended to be taken only with Inhaled corticosteroids. Take only if prescribed by doctor and in proper dosage
- Theophylline. Theophylline (Theo-24, Elixophyllin, others) is a daily pill that helps keep the airways open (bronchodilator) by relaxing the muscles around the airways. It’s not used as often now as in past years.
Quick Relief Medication
.
- Short-acting beta agonists. These inhaled, quick-relief bronchodilators act within minutes to rapidly ease symptoms during an asthma attack. They include albuterol (ProAir HFA, Ventolin HFA, others) and levalbuterol (Xopenex).
Short-acting beta agonists can be taken using a portable, hand-held inhaler or a nebulizer — a machine that converts asthma medications to a fine mist — so that they can be inhaled through a face mask or a mouthpiece.
- Oral and intravenous corticosteroids. These medications — which include prednisone and methylprednisolone — relieve airway inflammation caused by severe asthma.
They can cause serious side effects when used long term, so they’re used only on a short-term basis to treat severe asthma symptoms.
If your long-term control medications are working properly, you shouldn’t need to use your quick-relief inhaler very often.
Allergy medications
May help if your asthma is triggered or worsened by allergies. These include:
- Allergy shots (immunotherapy). Over time, allergy shots gradually reduce your immune system reaction to specific allergens.
You generally receive shots once a week for a few months, then once a month for a period of three to five years. - Omalizumab (Xolair). This medication, given as an injection every two to four weeks, is specifically for people who have allergies and severe asthma. It acts by altering the immune system.
Food to avoid for Asthma Patients
You should always stay away from the Food that contain sulfites.
Sulphites are preservatives used in the production of some foods and drinks. It is used to make food last longer and helps preserve their colour and flavour.
So here i am providing you a list of food that contain sulfites.
Avoid these foods
1. Dried fruit
Many kinds of dried fruit including sulfites, dried cherries or apricots may trigger an asthma flare. These dry fruits is very harmful for asthma patients and should be avoided.
2. Wine or beer
Many kinds of wine and beer also contain those pesky sulfites. This led to cough and sneezing. Some research also suggests that histamines in wine can cause symptoms like watery eyes, sneezing and wheezing.
3. Shrimp (Jheenga)
Frozen or prepared shrimp could be risky for you. If you suspect that sulfites are once again the culprit, you’re right! Frozen shrimp—and other seafood—often contain sulfites because they discourage the growth of unappetizing black spots.
If you’re eating out, be sure you don’t accidentally eat something that’s been cooked in a broth made with shrimp or other shellfish.
4. Pickles
You need to remove pickle form your food as it also contain sulfites. So you have to be extra careful while eating sauces and even salad as pickle can be mixed with them.
5. Packaged or prepared potatoes
Prepared potatoes can contain sulfites in it. So always take a look at the ingredients list on the package. Opt for a whole potato that you can toss in the oven instead.
6. Maraschino cherries
Cherries looks so beautiful but anyone suffering with asthma should just stay far away from it as it also contain sulfites. Canned fruits and bottled fruit juices—such as lemon and lime juice—may also contain preservatives that could trigger bronchospasms or other symptoms of asthma.
7. Tinned coconut milk
Yes sulfites is the main problem in coconut milk. It has high amount of sulfite in it and you should always avoid it.
8. Vegetable juices
Many Vegetable juices have some amount of sulfites in it and one should avoid it if you have flared asthma.
9. Some soft drinks
Some Soft drinks contain high amount of sulfites. You should always check the ingredients before drinking any soft drinks.
10. Grape juice
Grape juice contain sulfites in it and is the only fruit juice that you should avoid.
11. Bottled lemon juice and lime juice
Bottled juices especially lemon juice and lime juice has sulfites in it as it helps the juice to retain its odor and taste.
12. Some processed meat products
Yes some processed meat products can cause problem to asthma patients so always try to avoid them.
13. Eggs
Although skin reactions such as hives are the most common manifestation of an egg allergy, asthma is another possible reaction.
Best Foods for Asthma Patients
- Apple
- Cantaloupe
- Coffee
- Flax seeds
- Garlic
- Avocado
- Vitamin A, E & C: Boosts immune system and prevents asthma attacks
- Foods to consume: papaya, oranges, pears, melons, lemons, strawberries, grape and vegetables like tomatoes, carrots, beetroots, spinach and bell peppers
- Magnesium: Calms lung muscles
Foods to consume: Pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, cashews, legumes & , whole grains like oats &, brown rice - Essential fatty acids: Reduces inflammation of lungs
Foods to consume: Flax seeds and walnuts
Bronchitis
Bronchitis is an inflammation or swelling of the bronchial tubes (bronchi), the air passages between the mouth and nose and the lungs.
It is classified into two:-
Acute bronchitis
It is short-term illness which commonly follows viral infection.It usually lasts for few days or weeks.
Acute bronchitis consists of chest discomfort, cough with mucus, fever and shortness of breath.
Chronic bronchitis
Chronic bronchitis is triggered by something in the environment such as chemical fumes , tobacco smoke, air pollution, dust and pollen.
It is characterized by a persistent, mucus-producing cough that lasts longer than 3 months out of the year for more than 2 years. It get worse during different parts of the year.
If you have bronchitis, you’ll produce a thick, goopy substance called mucus when you cough. The mucus can be clear, yellow, or green.
Signs and Symptoms of Bronchitis
- Persistent cough, which may produce mucus
- Wheezing
- Low fever and chills
- Chest tightening
- Sore throat
- Body aches
- Breathlessness
- Headaches
- Blocked nose and sinuses
It is common for the symptoms of chronic bronchitis to get worse two or more times every year, and they are often worse during the winter months.
Diagnosis of Bronchitis
Doctor will usually use a stethoscope to listen for any abnormal sounds in the lungs. They may also examine mucus or test the oxygen levels in the blood, and may recommend a chest X-ray, pulmonary lung function test, or blood tests.
Treatment
Acute bronchitis usually isn’t treated with antibiotics, because it’s often caused by a virus.
Antibiotics only kill bacteria. Your doctor will recommend that you rest, drink lots of fluids, and take pain relievers to ease your symptoms.
Chronic bronchitis and asthma have similar treatments. The goal with both conditions is to open up your airways and help you breathe easier.
The same medicines may be used to treat both asthma and bronchitis.
Bronchodilators are a type of medication that relaxes the muscles around the airways to open them up and ease your breathing.
They can also reduce the amount of mucus your lungs produce. You breathe these medicines into your lungs through a device called an inhaler.
Short-acting bronchodilators start working within a few minutes to relieve your cough and shortness of breath when these symptoms flare up. Short acting drugs are sometimes called “rescue” or “quick-relief” drugs. Examples include:
albuterol (Proventil HFA, ProAir, Ventolin HFA)
ipratropium (Atrovent)
levalbuterol (Xopenex)
Long-acting bronchodilators take longer to start working, but their effects last for several hours. You take these drugs every day. Examples include:
formoterol (Foradil)
salmeterol (Serevent)
tiotropium (Spiriva)
Best Food for Bronchitis Patient
- Hot Liquids: Help to eliminate the mucus
Foods to consume: Hot teas, soups, broths and barley water - Vitamin A, C & E : Rich in antioxidant, help fight against infections & reduce inflammation
Foods to consume: Carrots, melons, mangoes, papaya, tomatoes, orange, lemons, kiwi, pineapples, gooseberries, guava, cabbage, broccoli, green leafy vegetables, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds & olive oil - Omega 3 rich foods: Anti-inflammatory
Foods to consume: Flaxseeds, walnuts, soya beans and fish like tuna, salmon & mackerel - Food Containing fatty acids
- Herbal Tea
- Onions and Honey
- Almonds
Foods to Avoid for Bronchitis Patient
- Avoid mucus forming foods like fried & processed foods, butter, ghee, sugar, soft drinks, candies, chocolates, coffee and avoid excess salt
- High-Fat Dairy Products
- Refined Sugar
- Salty Foods
Stay Healthy. Stay Fit
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