Bronchitis is an inflammation of the mucous linings of the bronchial tubes that lead from the trachea (windpipe) to the lungs. The chronic form of the condition never fully resolves, and causes symptoms of coughing and excessive mucus production on most days for at least three months of the year.
Chronic bronchitis is one of the forms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which in time may lead to a reduction of the amount of oxygen that may be transferred from the lungs to the blood, causing increased breathlessness. The heart will pump harder to meet the demand; however, this increased workload can eventually lead to partial heart failure.
Almost all sufferers of chronic bronchitis are smokers or are regularly exposed to second-hand smoke; the more an individual smokes and the longer they have smoked for, the greater the risk of them contracting the disease. Chronic bronchitis and other forms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease affects 14% of all female smokers and 18% of male smokers.
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