This paper will discuss scenario 3. The patient is 36 years old presents with a cough. She is usually health and she has no any health history. The patient is not under any medications and does not smoke. She developed a severe cold there weeks ago. The cold is characteristic of a cough that is deep and produces mucus. She did not admit either rhinorrhea or rhinitis. Her major problem is the cough that is profound. She frequently gets into coughing fits that take some time and produce green sputum. She is not experiencing any fever. However, she is experiencing a scratchy throat. The patient has tried cough drugs purchased over the counter to no avail. The cough disrupts her sleep at night and therefore remains awake most of the night. When its so much unbearable, she gags and also dry heaves.
Cough is a self-defense mechanism that assists in clearing the air passages by causing forced expiration. Substances such as breathed in particles, mucus that has been accumulated, presence of an inflammation or entrance by a foreign substance can lead to the onset of a cough (Huether & McCance, 2017) . Irritant receptors are activated in this case in the air passages. The reflex associated with a cough comprise of the closing of the glottis opening and the vocal cords. A contraction then follows in the expiratory muscles. A reopening of the glottis occurs which leads to the occurrence of a forceful expiration that expels the offending/irritating substance. Whether a cough is effective or not relies on the depth of an inspiration and the magnitude to which the air passages narrow and the velocity of the gas out (Hammer & McPhee, 2018) .
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The underlying respiratory disorder presented by the symptoms is most likely to be acute bronchitis. Bronchitis in most cases comes from a severe cold. This is an infection as a result of the inflammation of the air passages or bronchi (Sahetya, 2016). Most acute bronchitis cases are as a result of virus invasion. Acute bronchitis is characterized by recurrent cough and the production of mucus that lasts for a number of days to couple of weeks. Acute bronchitis is in most cases caused by viruses that cause infections in the upper respiratory tract (Sahetya, 2016). Therefore, it in most cases presents as part of a common cold. In addition, acute bronchitis is also caused by bacteria. However, this mostly happens to individuals who are suffering from lung disease that is chronic. Besides, the two mentioned causes, acute bronchitis is also caused by chemical substances that irritate the system such as poisonous gases, acids that are very strong or organic solvents.
In the event of an acute bronchitis, the cells located along the bronchial-lining become irritated. The mucous membrane starts becoming hyperemic. In addition, it also becomes edematous. The function of the bronchial mucociliary starts going down too. As a result of this, the airways are blocked by debris and the irritation becomes more (Madara & Pomarico-Denino, 2008) . In response to this, the copious production of mucus begins. This in turn causes the cough that is characteristic of bronchitis.
The inhaled irritants cause air passages inflammation. Furthermore, neutrophils and white blood cells are infiltrated. Macrophages are also infiltrated too. As the inflammation in the bronchus continues, bronchial edema develops and the mucus glands grow in size (Huether & McCance, 2017) . In addition, the goblet cells increase in number. Fibrosis develops on the smooth muscle and the air passages become narrow. There is increased volume in mucus production that may turn green or yellow in color and it becomes difficult to clear because it has already become thick (Huether & McCance, 2017) . Acute bronchitis can be effectively treated with the correct antibiotics.
Behaviors such as smoking may negatively impact the disorder and lead to chronic bronchitis. In addition, continuous exposure to second hand cigarette smoke may also affect the disorder. This is because of the presence of tobacco in the cigarette smoke that cause irritation and thus aggravate the problem. Exposure to irritants such as toxic chemicals may also deteriorate the situation. Gender is another factor that also impacts the disorder. When it comes to the disorder, women should be viewed differently from men. Although men are at higher risk of developing the disorder as compared to women, women present more symptoms than men. Gender has been identified as one of the major predictor of the variances associated with the disorder. Women have a lower lung function as compared to men and therefore the disorder is more complicated in women than men.
References
Huether, S. E., & McCance, K. L. (2017). Understanding pathophysiology . St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.
Hammer, G. D., & McPhee, S. J. (2018). Pathophysiology of disease: An introduction to clinical medicine . New York: McGraw-Hill Medical.
Sahetya, S. (2016). Acute Uncomplicated Bronchitis. Oxford Medicine Online . doi:10.1093/med/9780199976805.003.0029
Madara, B., & Pomarico-Denino, V. (2008). Pathophysiology . Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett.
