Chronic Bronchitis

One component of COPD is chronic bronchitis. COPD is the fourth largest killer disease in the US. Chronic bronchitis is diagnosed if one has productive cough with sputum that occurs for three months each year for not less than two years (Arcangelo, & Peterson, 2013).

Causes

There is no sufficient evidence of the true causes of chronic bronchitis. It is however certain that most of the people who suffer from chronic bronchitis have a history of chronic bronchitis. I also occurs with people have been exposed to pollutants (Arcangelo, & Peterson, 2013). Those who contract chronic bronchitis after exposure to industrial pollutants are said to have industrial bronchitis. Recurrent cases of chronic bronchitis have been proven to predispose a patient to chronic bronchitis. Chronic may also be prominent in the family history.

Prescription

The patient may be treated with an antibiotic like oral azithromycin. This would often help to fight the bacterial infection associated with chronic bronchitis. This medication works by preventing the growth of bacteria (Eduard, Pearce, & Douwes, 2009). The mediation contains side effects like stomach upsets and diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pains. To handle the side effects, the medication may be prescribed together with ibuprofen to handle the side effects.

Genetics

Genetics may sometimes affect the effectiveness of azithrofin. Specifically, if one is allergic to this drug, it may not be effective as one may be reserved against using the drug in the right amounts. Allergy to the drug may be genetic (Medina-Ramon et al, 2005). Patients with a family history of heart disease, liver disease and kidney disease may also have difficulties using this drug. It may cause QT prolongation which may cause worsening of heart disease.

Conclusion

Chronic bronchitis is a type of COPD that causes inflammation to the bronchial system. It arises mainly in individuals who have a lot of exposure to particles in their respiratory system. Chronic bronchitis is mostly treated with antibiotics which are able to fight bacteria. It may however be problematic for certain individuals especially those whose genes are more likely to generate heart, liver and kidney complications.

References

Arcangelo, V. P., & Peterson, A. M. (Eds.). (2013). Pharmacotherapeutics for advanced practice: A practical approach (3rd ed.). Ambler, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Eduard, W., Pearce, N., & Douwes, J. (2009). Chronic Bronchitis, COPD, and Lung Function in FarmersThe Role of Biological Agents. CHEST Journal, 136(3), 716-725.

Medina-Ramon, M., Zock, J. P., Kogevinas, M., Sunyer, J., Torralba, Y., Borrell, A., … & Anto, J. M. (2005). Asthma, chronic bronchitis, and exposure to irritant agents in occupational domestic cleaning: a nested case-control study. Occupational and environmental medicine, 62(9), 598-606.