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Chronic bronchitis

Definition:

Chronic bronchitis is an inflammation of the bronchi, the main air passages in the lungs, which persists for a long period or repeatedly recurs.

The condition is characterized by excessive bronchial mucus and a productive cough that produces sputum for three months or more in at least two consecutive years, without any other disease that could account for this symptom.



Alternative Names:

Bronchitis - chronic



Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Cigarette smoking (and exposure to secondhand smoke) is the chief cause of this disease. Air pollution, infection, and allergies are exacerbating factors. The longer and heavier the smoking or contact with secondhand smoke is, the more severe the bronchitis tends to be.

Chronic bronchitis is one form of chronic obstructive pulmonary (lung) disease. Chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma as a group are a leading cause of death in the U.S.



Review Date: 11/15/2002
Reviewed By: David A. Kaufman, M.D., Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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