ABSTRACT
Bronchitis is one of the lower respiratory tract infections which occur most often during the cold, winter and rainy season, usually accompanied with an upper respiratory infection. People getting bronchitis and of having more severe symptoms include the elderly and those with weakened immune system. Homoeopathic remedies for bronchitis are of great help in its treatment and are completely safe.
KEYWORDS- bronchitis, respiratory system, homoeopathic management
ABBREVIATIONX – COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).
INTRODUCTION
Bronchitis is an inflammation of the airways in the lungs. The main tubes that air flows through in the lungs are called bronchi, and branching off them are smaller tubes called bronchioles. When these tubes become inflamed it causes narrowing, constriction, and blockage of the airways, which leads to symptoms of bronchitis. Bronchitis can be acute, lasting less than six weeks, or chronic, recurring multiple times for more than two years.1
TYPES OF BRONCHITIS:-
ACUTE BRONCHITIS
Acute bronchitis is a form of the illness that starts suddenly and resolves itself after just a few weeks. Symptoms of acute bronchitis include hacking cough and production of mucus (phlegm). It is usually brought on by a viral (90%) or bacterial illness in the upper respiratory tract. While the symptoms can be bothersome in acute bronchitis, otherwise healthy people is rarely severe.2
CHRONIC BRONCHITIS
Chronic bronchitis is a recurrent disorder where there is chronic inflammation, swelling, and narrowing of the airways. It is defined as a cough with production of mucus (sputum) for at least a 3-month period, for two years in a row. Chronic bronchitis is usually the result of lung damage from chronic medical disorders or smoking.2
CAUSES:-
Acute bronchitis is caused by upper respiratory viral infections in 90% of cases; the other 10% of cases are caused by bacterial infections.2
Chronic bronchitis is caused by repeated inflammation of the lung tissues. People at highest risk for chronic bronchitis are those who have occupational exposure to lung irritants (such as coal miners, construction workers, metal workers, etc.), and smokers. High levels of air pollution can also contribute to developing chronic bronchitis.2
SMOKING AND BRONCHITIS
Smoking is a major irritant to the lungs, and it causes damage on the cellular level. This damage to the lung tissue, especially the cilia (cells in the lung lining that help clear out debris and mucus), causes the lung tissue to be more susceptible to acute bronchitis. Smokers also eventually cause so much damage to their lungs they can get chronic bronchitis and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).
SYMPTOMS
Signs and symptoms of both acute and chronic bronchitis include:-
- Persistent cough, which may produce mucus that’s clear, white, yellow, or green
- Dyspnoea and Wheezing
- Low fever and chills
- Feeling of tightness in the chestand pain
- Sore throat
- Bodyache and headache
- Blocked nose and sinuses
- Brings up bloody mucus
- Unexplained weight loss
- Foul-tasting fluid in mouth
- Wheezing or shortness of breath
- With chronic bronchitis, cough lasts for at least 3 months and comes back at least 2 years.3
MANAGEMENT WITH HOMOEOPATHY
IN ACUTE BRONCHITIS-:
1-ACONITUM NAPELLUS – For short, dry cough worse in evening and night with tickling in throat.
2-ANTIMONIUM TARTARICUM– On coughing, it seems as if much would be expectorated but nothing comes up .there is coarse rattling of mucus. It is especially useful for children and old people. SUFFOCATIVE SHORTNESS OF BREATH, before cough or alternating with cough. COARSE, LOOSE, RATTLING COUGH. CHEST SEEMS FULL YET LESS AND LESS is RAISED. Cough followed by vomiting or sleep worse anger– Cough followed by vomiting or sleep and worse from anger.
3-ARSENICUM ALBUM- There is SHORTNESS OF BREATH ,unable to lie down, must sit up; aggravation by odours, laughing, ascending, turning in bed, or receding eruptions, ameliorated by coffee. Whistling and wheezing breathing. Asthma, worse by taking cold and in mid-summers. Cough alternating dry and loose, dry at night better in sitting up and worse in drinking. Expectoration scanty, frothy with great dyspnoea. 4
4- BELLADONNA -There is sweat on covered parts. Dry, barking spasmodic cough in paroxysms. Child cries when coughing. Child starts and jumps in sleep.
5-EUPATORIUM PERFOLIATUM –Soreness in trachea and bronchi; face flushed tearful eyes. Patients supports chest while coughing to relieve pain and soreness .patients inability to lie on left side.
IN CHRONIC BRONCHITIS-:
1-AMMONIUM CARBONIUM –Chronic bronchitis of the aged people, copious accumulation of mucus in lungs. There is dilation of bronchial tubes. ‘’NUMEROUS COARSE RATTLES’’ and yet patients experiences no necessity to clear his throat. Cough continually without any expectoration, or a little expectoration with great difficulty. Aggravation in winter and from 3 to 4 AM with great weakness.5
2-BARYTA CARBONICUM – It is useful remedy for chronic bronchitis. Dry suffocative cough in old people with full of mucus but lacking strength to expectorate. Lungs feel full of smoke. Cough worse in the presence of strangers and eating warm food.
3-CACTUS GRANDIFLORUS –Chronic bronchitis with Rattling of mucus. Constant expectoration of mucus. Oppressed breathing with general weakness.
3-CALCAREA CARBONICA – there is Sputa yellow ,lumpy ,sweetish ,sometimes putrid; when thrown into water a lump seen shooting to the bottom with a mucus trail behind ,like a falling star.
5-CARBO VEGETABILIS – It is especially indicated in old neglected cases and where the constitution is exhausted and in aged peoples. Expectoration profuse, sometimes purulent, putrid. COLD KNESS EVEN IN BED.
6-DROSERA ROTUNDIFOLIA-Cough spasmodic, deep sounding and worse after mid-night. Tightness of chest when coughing. PERIODICAL FITS OF RAPID, DEEP BARKING or CHOKING PROLONGED AND INCESSANT COUGH. Harassing cough, as soon as head touches the pillow at night not during day. Cough worse in singing and talking.
7-KALIUM BICHROMICUM -Expectoration of tenacious, stringy mucus, which can be drawn out into strings. Desire for acid drinks. Early morning cough.
8-KALIUM CARBONICUM -Scanty, tenacious expectoration, must be swallowed .cough worse at 3 AM .Pain in lower chest, exhausted look there is face bloated. Patient is sensitive to cold.
9-HEPAR SULPHURICUM – Cough when exposed to dry cold wind. Cough from least uncovering. Hoarseness; chronic; of singers. Whistling, choking; breathing, must bend head back. Cough choking, barking worse cold drinks. Hacking; as from feather. WEAKNESS AND MUCH rattling in chest; expectoration LOOSE; but cannot expectorate. Much, thick, yellow expectoration. Recurrent bronchitis from every cold.
9-STANNUM METALLICUM –Profuse, greenish expectoration offensive, sweetish taste. There is great weakness in chest after expectoration or talking.
10-STICTA PULMONARIA-Tickling high up in pharynx. Incessant, dry hacking cough prevents sleep, worse coughing, inspiration towards evening and when tired. Air passages numb. Pulsation from right side of sternum down to abdomen. Bronchitis. Pain from sternum to spine worse motion.
11-SULPHUR –Rattling of mucus in chest. Foetid expectoration of a greenish -yellow colour like pus and of a salt or sweetish taste.IN CASES WHERE SEEMINGLY INDICATED REMEDIES FAIL TO ACT.
CONCLUSION-
Homoeopathy is having much efficacy
in treating bronchitis because of its individualistic approach to treat the
sick with dynamic and potentised medicines. In homoeopathy, along with the
disease condition, the man in disease is treated considering mind and body
known holistic treatment so we can successfully controlling the recurrence.
REFERENCES :-
- Ballinger A. Essentials of Kumar and Clark’s Clinical Medicine E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences; 2011 Sep 29
- Mcintosh, j., 2019. Bronchitis: Definition, causes, symptoms, and treatment. [online] Medicalnewstoday.com. Available at<https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/8888>
- Robinson, J., 2020. Bronchitis.
WebMD. Available at:<https://www.webmd.com/lung/understanding-bronchitis-basics>.
- Phatak SR. Materia medica of homoeopathic medicines. B. Jain Publishers; 2002.
- .Bhanja KC. The Homoeopathic Prescriber. Calcutta; National Homoeo Laboratory; 1989.
About the author :-
Dr Neeta Jain, MD (Medicine)
Prabha Multispeciality Homoeopathic clinic, Indore, MP
Co-author :-
Dr Niharika Jain ,MD(Scholar)
Department of Practice Of Medicine ,GHMC ,Bhopal , MP
