Bronchitis - How is bronchial asthma different?

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Asthma and bronchitis share some of the same symptoms, such as coughing, shortness of breath, wheezing, and chest tightness. However, these are two completely different diseases, patients need to distinguish asthma and bronchitis in terms of causes, disease progression, diagnosis and treatment.

1. Common features of asthma and bronchitis

The bronchi are a tube that carries air into the lungs. When there are environmental factors such as temperature changes, pollution, bacterial and viral attack or exposure to irritating factors, it will lead to inflammation of the respiratory tract.
What asthma (also called bronchial asthma) and bronchitis have in common is that they both cause inflammation of the bronchial tubes. When the bronchi are inflamed, the airways will be constricted and swollen, causing coughing, chest tightness, shortness of breath and wheezing when breathing. However, asthma and bronchitis are two different diseases, distinguishing the two diseases helps patients receive early and effective treatment, avoiding the risk of complications affecting quality of life.

2. How are asthma and bronchitis different?

2.1. Causes of asthma Asthma is caused by genetic factors in the family or due to allergies. If one parent has asthma, the chance of a child being born with asthma is 30-50%, if both parents have asthma, the child's rate of asthma is 50-70%. For people with allergies, the triggers that can cause an asthma attack are usually animal dander, pollen, seafood, cigarette smoke,...
Meanwhile, bronchitis is a sugar infection. Respiratory infections are very common caused by viruses, bacteria or fungi.

2.2. The course of the disease Bronchitis, if treated early, usually goes away after 5-10 days, but the cough can last for a few weeks after it heals. Bronchitis can become chronic in people who smoke, regularly inhale dust, and are exposed to polluted air.
Asthma is a chronic disease, patients may have to live with the disease for the rest of their lives. Symptoms of the disease such as coughing, shortness of breath, and wheezing will be repeated for a long time.
2.3. Symptoms Besides the same symptoms, symptoms in people with bronchitis that people with asthma do not have are: low-grade fever, fatigue, chills, and yellow or green mucus in the nose.
In bronchial asthma, asthma attacks often appear at night, the patient will have symptoms of cough, shortness of breath, very rapid and rapid breathing, chest tightness, wheezing, exhalation pulling the chest cavity, The disease is especially aggravated by weather changes, by exertion or by contact with allergens.
2.4. Patients with bronchitis disease appear at any age, gender, especially those with poor resistance, people who are often exposed to polluted environments, dust,...
Meanwhile, People with asthma often have a history of allergies such as atopic dermatitis, eczema, allergic rhinitis or a family history of asthma.
2.5. Diagnosis Diagnosis of acute bronchitis is based on clinical symptoms, medical history, laboratory tests, and chest X-ray.
Diagnosis of chronic bronchitis when the patient coughs with sputum for at least 3 consecutive months in a year and lasts 2 consecutive years. Patients will be assigned laboratory tests and diagnostic imaging to identify the disease.
Meanwhile, to diagnose bronchial asthma, the doctor will order a pulmonary ventilation measurement to determine the ability to exhale, the degree of airway obstruction. Other subclinical techniques may be indicated such as: chest X-ray, blood test, sputum test, immunological test,...
2.6. Treatment Depending on the cause of bronchitis, the doctor will have an appropriate treatment method. If the cause of the disease is a virus, the disease will go away on its own without medication, the patient just needs to rest, strengthen the diet to quickly recover. If the cause of the disease is bacteria or fungus, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics, antifungal drugs, anti-inflammatory corticosteroids, antipyretic drugs, mucus-thinning drugs, bronchodilators,...
Treatment Asthma treatment will focus on medications used to quickly relieve sudden asthma attacks while also controlling spasms and inflammation. In cases where asthma is not well controlled and frequently recurs, the doctor may prescribe the patient to use prophylactic drugs for a long time, the commonly used drugs are anti-inflammatory drugs. breathe. To limit the risk of recurrent asthma attacks, patients need to limit their exposure to disease-causing agents.
Asthma and bronchitis are two relatively common diseases, the symptoms often affect the patient's life and if not treated in time, both diseases have the risk of causing complications. dangerous to health. When there are signs of illness, patients should quickly go to medical facilities for examination and treatment.

Vinmec Times City International Hospital has a team of highly qualified and experienced doctors, fully equipped with modern facilities and equipment for diagnosis and pre-treatment staging. The most effective way. Especially when coming to Vinmec International General Hospital, patients do not have to wait long, have a quick examination time and are carefully guided by a team of experienced medical staff on the use of drugs, medicines and other medical conditions. A specially designed aerosol-aerosol that guides positive lifestyle changes to help patients easily adhere to their asthma management.

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