How to diagnose and treat problems with your breathing

There is a predictable progression from a runny nose, to a pain in your sinuses, then a sore throat and, finally, a cough. It happens to everyone at one time or another. The more serious problems start when you get an inflammation of the main airways (called the bronchi) and this spreads to the lungs. In almost all the standard cases, the initial cause is a virus. So this article starts off with the warning that, unless and until your physician eliminates the viral and fungal causes of the inflammation, do not take Azithromycin or any of the other antibiotics. Antibiotics are only used to treat susceptible bacteria.

Bronchitis is quite often a chronic problem and it most usually affects vulnerable age groups among the young and the elderly. Smokers or those who have had heart or lung disease are also more at risk. As the bronchi become more inflamed, you will find yourself increasingly short of breath, it will become uncomfortable to breathe and you will wheeze. There may be a low-level fever and you will cough. The first sign that you may have caught a secondary bacterial infection is when the mucus you cough up becomes yellow or green in color. Up to this point, you have been waiting for the problem to clear up on its own. Almost all viral infections clear within a week without treatment if you rest, drink plenty of fluids and either inhale steam or use a humidifier. If you smoke, quit. You should only take an antibiotic like Azithromycin if a physician confirms a bacterial cause.

However, a key problem is that bronchitis can grow into the more serious pneumonia. The phlegm you cough up will be yellow or green sometimes laced with blood. You will run a higher fever and feel chilled and shaky. Your breathing will grow more shallow and fast. If you attempt a deep breath, you will feel pain. This disease is quite common, affecting several million people a year in the U.S. As with other problems affecting your breathing, it can be caused by a virus, fungus or bacterium. The degree of risk to your health depends on your age and whether you have a reasonable level of health. Children and the elderly are more at risk. The most common bacterial cause is Streptococcus pneumoniae. If a culture of your sputum confirms a bacterial source, Azithromycin, as one of the macrolide antibiotics, is one of the first-response drugs. This will be even more strongly the preferred choice if you have more serious illnesses affecting your metabolism, heart, kidneys, etc. If you fall within a vulnerable class because of your age, you have an existing lung problem like emphysema, or you are a smoker, hospitalization may be required.