Chronic bronchitis is a jot down ofchronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Chronic bronchitis is most commonly resulting from long-term exposure to inhaled chemicals such as smoking tobacco or air pollution.
This condition causes difficulty breathing, which gets progressively worse over time.
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It is not uncommon for a person to have both types of COPD.
The main symptoms of chronic bronchitis include achronic coughthat has persisted for between three months and two years.
This cough is accompanied by excessivesputumproduction.
How Common is Chronic Bronchitis?
Chronic bronchitis affects approximately 10 million people in the United States.
COPD is the third leading cause of death in the world.
The rate decreased slightly every year between 1999 and 2017 but started rising in 2018.
Approximately 3 out of 4 people who get chronic bronchitis report being a current or ex-smoker.
Additionally, smokers who develop COPD are more likely to have a family history of COPD.
Being exposed to secondhand smoke also increases your risk of developing chronic bronchitis.
What Are the Mortality Rates for Chronic Bronchitis?
GOLD stands for Global Initiative on Obstructive Lung Disease.
However, there is evidence that people with moderate COPD benefit from treatment with medications.
Therefore, it’s recommended anyone withsymptoms of COPDsee a healthcare provider.
Some studies have also shown that quitting smoking after being diagnosed significantly improves FEV1.
Summary
Chronic bronchitis is a form of COPD.
It’s one of the leading causes of death in the United States.
The symptoms include a chronic cough and excessive sputum.
Quitting smoking can greatly improve your health and decrease your risk of dying or experiencing complications of chronic bronchitis.
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