Long Term Treatment of Acute Bronchitis/Chronic Bronchitis/Bronchial Asthma.

Besides the above–mentioned measures, the following are also to be adopted

• Treat fever by means of sponge baths frequently, chest packs at night and friction baths.
• The patient should refrain from smoking.
• Chest packs must be used every night.
• Practice of Jalaneti and Sutraneti as and when required keeps upper respiratory passages clear. Pranayama and asanas to prevent lung congestion should be practiced under the guidance of an expert teacher.
• Neutral half baths with Epsom salt which divert blood to the periphery, relieving lung congestion, could be employed frequently with advantage.
• Asthma bath once a week/15 days is useful is relieving congestion and increase in oxygen consumption.
• Neutral underwater massage, neutral jet massage and whirlpool bath provide relaxation by action on the muscles at the spinal region.
• A fat–free diet needs to be adopted.
• Pranayama and Kriyas help build resistance of the lung and upper respiratory tract, besides clearing them.

Bronchitis

Acute Bronchitis
Inflammation of the bronchioles (small air passages or tubes in the lung) due to untreated upper respiratory infection could result in Acute Bronchitis. This causes cough with sputum, sore throat, low degree fever and heaviness in the chest.

Chronic Bronchitis
It is often termed as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). It is a progressive disease affecting the mucus membrane of the bronchi. For many, bronchitis is the result of long exposure to irritants like cotton dust, silica, smoking, recurrent viral or bacterial infection (as in recurrent acute bronchitis) and changes in temperature.

Initially, the patient will have more problems only during winter with cough, sputum, breathlessness and a feeling of tightness in the chest. This gradually increases in severity and duration resulting in persistent cough with a large quantity of sputum. The sputum will be more in the morning. Occasionally wheezing occurs along with the feeling of tightness. The sputum is a thick, sticky (mucoid) thread–like substance and may be yellow if infection is also present.