Can’t Stand the Coughing!!!
Happy President’s Day everyone, for those of you who get to stay home for the holiday, enjoy. For those of who are staying home because of an acute case of bronchitis, I welcome you to my little clubhouse. How do I know its bronchitis and not the common cold you might ask? Well, several weeks ago, I had the common cold that moved to my chest…not this time around. It started with a little tickle and slight cough that blossomed into a very productive cough that was almost never ending. Ironically enough, last week I wrote about getting enough sleep and challenged everyone including myself to get more sleep…after a few days, there was no sleep!
Bronchitis, by definition of the Mayo Clinic, “…is an inflammation of the lining of your bronchial tubes, which carry air to and from your lungs. People who have bronchitis often cough up thickened mucus, which can be discolored…acute bronchitis usually improves within a few days without lasting effects, although you may continue to cough for weeks.” There are two general types of bronchitis, acute bronchitis and chronic bronchitis. The acute variety is the short term type that usually improves after several days…the chronic variety is a much more serious illness that can have long term impact on health and quality of life. In both cases I would recommend that a trip to your personal physician would be in good order. Signs and symptoms may include: Coughing (duh!)…Production of mucus (sputum), which can be clear, white, yellowish-gray or green in color — rarely, it may be streaked with blood…Fatigue (don’t I know it!)…Shortness of breath (Which helps cause the fatigue)…Slight fever and chills…and (my favorite understatement) Chest discomfort. I’m not saying that I cracked a rib because I was coughing so hard…but I really feel like someone has taken a baseball bat and beaten me in my torso due to the heavy coughing, especially in the middle of the night.
The ironic thing is that the Mayo Clinic recommends that a person who is suffering from bronchitis NOT take a cough suppressant because it’s GOOD that you’re coughing up all the crud and getting it out of your lungs. The website has all kinds of great information and I highly recommend that everyone gives it a read…here is the web address:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bronchitis/basics/definition/con-20014956
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) greater than 90% of all acute bronchitis is non-bacterial meaning that it is not recommended that anti-biotics be given to help with the cough. By taking anti-biotics without need (it has no or little effect on bronchitis), anti-biotic use increases the risk of an antibiotic-resistant infection later down the road. If you have further questions or want to read up more on what the CDC has to say, you can check them out at http://cdc.gov The best course of action is to just ride it out…and I just hate that!
I consider myself to be a reasonably healthy middle aged man and I know how much this illness has kicked my butt. I can’t imagine what it would be like to have the chronic variety of bronchitis which can lead to COPD…Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Being short of breath, feeling weak all the time, not being able to accomplish the things that I once was able to do…This little bout of bronchitis has given me more than just a nagging cough, on the positive side of things, it has given me a brief and empathetic look into the lives of those who have issues breathing normally. I feel it is important that we as providers of care should have an understanding of our clients of whom we serve. When we as providers have better understanding of how our clients feel, then we as providers can give better care.
I hope everyone had a safe Valentine’s Day and survived the latest round of snow…be safe and take care, remember we’re all in this together.
Thanks for reading,
Wm Reid
Best Home Care Services
325 N Eastern Ave
Connersville, IN 47331
765-827-9833
besthomecareservices@comcast.net