Bronchitis News and Research

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Bronchitis is a condition in which the bronchial tubes, the tubes that carry air to your lungs, become inflamed. (For more information on the bronchial tubes and the airways. People who have bronchitis often have a cough that brings up mucus. Mucus is a slimy substance made by the lining of the bronchial tubes. Bronchitis also may cause wheezing (a whistling or squeaky sound when you breathe), chest pain or discomfort, a low fever, and shortness of breath. There are two main types of bronchitis: acute (short term) and chronic (ongoing).

Taming chronic cough

Chronic cough – often causing much discomfort, frustration, irritability and sleep disturbances in 10 percent to 20 percent of adults – is one of the leading reasons for consultation with a physician according to a report published this month in Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology , the scientific journal of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI).

21 Apr 2007

Eating cured meats increases the odds of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Frequent consumption of cured meats results in lower lung function test scores and increases the odds of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a large cross-sectional survey of adults in the U.S.

17 Apr 2007

Diets high in bacon, ham and hot dogs bad for the lungs

A study by researchers in the U.S. has found that cured meats such as bacon, ham, and hot dogs can cause lung damage.

17 Apr 2007

Inhaled corticosteroids deserve further consideration for lung cancer chemoprevention

Among a group of mostly older male veterans suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an illness that offers a greater susceptibility to lung cancer, researchers found that regular use of high dose inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) lowered the risk of developing lung cancer.

4 Apr 2007

Antisocial behaviour in boys leads to poor health in men

A study of over 500 men born in the early 70s in Dunedin reveals that the costs associated with antisocial behaviour may be much higher than previously thought. The research led by scientists from the MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre based at the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London is published in Archives of General Psychiatry.

3 Apr 2007

London asthma sufferers get space-based help

The city of London has launched an innovative service, funded by ESA, which delivers air pollution alerts and health advice via SMS text messages to those who suffer from asthma and other conditions vulnerable to poor air quality.

29 Mar 2007

Exercise moderates risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in smokers

Moderate to high levels of regular physical activity are associated with lower lung function decline among smokers and help to moderate their risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a large retrospective cohort study.

5 Mar 2007

Serious warning placed on antibiotic Ketek

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States has issued a warning about an antibiotic used to treat sinusitis and bronchitis.

12 Feb 2007

Health effects of passive somking studied in first-of-a-kind clinical study

Until bans on in-flight smoking took effect, beginning in 1988, flight attendants were regularly exposed to secondhand smoke.

1 Feb 2007

Lung neutrophils produce histamine in significant quantities

In a surprise finding, scientists have discovered that histamine, the inflammatory compound released during allergic reactions that causes runny nose, watery eyes, and wheezing, can be produced in large amounts in the lung by neutrophils, the white blood cells that are the major component of pus.

14 Jan 2007

Chronic cough and phlegm means greater risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Young adults (ages 20 to 44) with normal lung function who later develop chronic cough and phlegm have a fourfold higher risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

2 Jan 2007

Doctors say antibiotics pointless for acute bronchitis

Researchers say they have found no evidence in current literature that antibiotics are effective in treating the vast majority of patients with acute bronchitis and say doctors should stop routinely prescribing them.

16 Nov 2006

One in four smokers doomed to get incurable lung disease

According to British and Danish researchers the longer someone smokes the higher their risk of developing the incurable lung condition chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

18 Oct 2006

World challenge to improve air quality

The World Health Organization (WHO) is today challenging governments around the world to improve air quality in their cities in order to protect people's health.

5 Oct 2006

Women have a greater risk of death from long-term oxygen therapy compared with the men

Among patients on long-term oxygen therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), women are more likely to die from the disease than men.

4 Sep 2006

Pediatricians not doing enough to stop parental smoking

Parental smoking is a pediatrician's business, experts say, yet many are reluctant to tell parents to stop smoking and offer little support for efforts to quit, a new study suggests.

31 Aug 2006

Abolish Asthma!

Asthma is unlikely to be a single disease, so we should abolish the term altogether, states an Editorial in this week's issue of The Lancet.

24 Aug 2006

FDA warns pharmacies to stop mass-producing unapproved inhalation drugs

FDA has warned three firms, RoTech Healthcare, Inc., CCS Medical, and Reliant Pharmacy Services, to stop manufacturing and distributing thousands of doses of compounded, unapproved inhalation drugs nation-wide.

10 Aug 2006

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients using beta-agonist inhalers are at risk

A new analysis that compares two common inhalers for patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) finds that one reduces respiratory-related hospitalizations and respiratory deaths, but the other - which is prescribed in the majority of cases - increases respiratory deaths.

9 Jul 2006