Your doctor may say that you have chronic bronchitis if:^[6]

• You have a cough that brings up mucus

• The cough lasts for three months or more

• You get this kind of cough (one that that brings up mucus and lasts at least three months) at least twice in two years.

Here's what happens if you have chronic bronchitis:^[7]

• The airways in your lungs are swollen and they get irritated easily (they're inflamed)

• Because they're irritated, your airways make extra mucus

• It's harder for you to breathe because the extra mucus clogs up your airways

• All that sticky mucus in your breathing tubes stops the tiny hairs in your airways (the cilia) doing their job. They can't sweep dirt and germs out of your lungs because the mucus stops them moving very well

• Bacteria or viruses from the air you breathe can get trapped in the mucus. That can lead to infections, which can make the bronchitis worse. To find out more, see What are the symptoms of COPD?

The word chronic in chronic bronchitis means that you have had the condition for a long time. This is different from acute bronchitis, which lasts just a few days or weeks.

Acute bronchitis is usually caused by an infection. When the infection clears up, the swelling in your lungs goes down and your breathing improves.

If you have chronic bronchitis, your lungs are always swollen, and there is always too much mucus in your airways.

Glossary

bacteria

Bacteria are tiny organisms. There are lots of different types. Some are harmful and can cause disease. But some bacteria live in your body without causing any harm.

infection

You get an infection when bacteria, a fungus, or a virus get into a part of your body where it shouldn't be. For example, an infection in your nose and airways causes the common cold. An infection in your skin can cause rashes such as athlete's foot. The organisms that cause infections are so tiny that you can't see them without a microscope.

inflammation

Inflammation is when your skin or some other part of your body becomes red, swollen, hot, and sore. Inflammation happens because your body is trying to protect you from germs, from something that's in your body and could harm you (like a splinter) or from things that cause allergies (these things are called allergens). Inflammation is one of the ways in which your body heals an infection or an injury.

viruses

Viruses are microbes (tiny organisms) that need the cells of humans or other animals to exist. They use the machinery of cells to reproduce. Then they spread to other cells in the body.

For more terms related to Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Citations