How to Recognize the Symptoms of Bronchitis

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By eHow Contributing Writer

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Bronchitis is a disease that affects your respiratory system. There are two types of bronchitis—acute and chronic. You may observe common indications in both the types though in chronic bronchitis, the patient shows highly visible or intense symptoms. Here are guidelines on how to recognize the symptoms of bronchitis.

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Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Step 1

Look for common symptoms such as sneezing, running nose, dry cough and cold. The coughing increases after a few days. The patient experiences pain in the throat and may emit greenish yellow phlegm.
Step 2

Observe wheezing of the patient after the coughing stage. The patient will also complain of fatigue and chest discomfort.
Step 3

Note that abnormal sounds may emerge from the patient’s lungs. This can be easily confirmed by the doctor who listens to the patient 's breathing with a stethoscope.
Step 4

Keep track of the patient’s temperature. It can shoot up to 102 degrees or more.
Step 5

Watch the symptoms of a patient in the advanced stages of bronchitis. Blue-tinged lips, swelling in legs, ankles or feet and pus in sputum are visible indicators.

Tips & Warnings

Chest x-ray, lab tests of sputum, pulmonary function tests, pulse oximetry or arterial blood gas are some tests that can be used to diagnose bronchitis.
If the disease is in an advanced stage, the tests may show changes in blood composition and decreased lung function.
Avoid smoking as it aggravates the condition.

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