This essay discusses the case scenario of Maria, a thirty-six-year-old woman who presents for evaluation of a cough. The description of her disorder indicates that she is suffering from a respiratory ailment. Some of the disorders that could be interfering with the normal functioning of Maria’s respiratory system might be pulmonary hypertension, bacterial pneumonia, influenza, tuberculosis, asthma, bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, sinusitis and allergic rhinitis among others. The evaluation of Maria’s case indicates that she produces green sputum, a symptom that increases the chance of her suffering from particular respiratory disorders, such as bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, pneumonia, or sinusitis.
The symptoms portrayed by Maria indicates that she could be suffering from acute bronchitis that is characterized by an inflammation of the lining of victim’s bronchial tubes, whose function is carrying air to and from the lungs. Acute bronchitis results from different types of bacteria, such as Streptococcus pneumonia, Haemophilus influenza, Mycoplasma species, Chlamydia pneumoniae, and Moraxella catarrhalis, as well as viruses that include rhinovirus, adenovirus, parainfluenza, influenza, and respiratory syncytial viruses. The virus causes inflammation by attacking the lining of the bronchial tree (Huether & McCance, 2017). The body tries to fight the infections in the lining, causing the swelling and production of the mucus.
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Respiratory Alterations Associated with Bronchitis
Maria could be experiencing cold symptoms, such as a mild headache or body aches that are common among people with acute bronchitis infection. A headache and other body aches might last for a short period of one week, but a nagging cough and other respiratory alterations may last for several weeks. Maria who reports experiencing bad cold and scratchy throat among different painful feelings three weeks since the infection evidences the presence of acute bronchitis. According to Huether and McCance (2017), the presence of bronchitis is associated with deep, mucus-producing cough accompanied with green or yellow sputum, symptoms that Maria’s scenario reports. Other changes in the respiratory system that could be experienced by patients having a disorder similar to Maria’s include a sore throat, chills, and shortness of breath, chest congestion, and wheezing among others. Maria’s cough takes is taking a long period that can be several weeks or even months to heal because the bronchial tube also takes some time to heal. More caution and attention should be observed in the event of lasting coughs, as they might be implying the presence of pneumonia or asthma (Yang et al., 2016).
Pathophysiology of the Respiratory Alteration
According to the American Lung Association (2012), the acute episode of bronchitis triggers cells of the tissue that makes the bronchial lining to be irritated occur when the mucous membrane of the bronchial tube become edematous and hyperemic, thus hindering the bronchial mucociliary operation. As a result, the airways are clogged by debris, increasing the irritation of the respiratory system. Consequently, mucus is secreted in large volumes, leading to characteristic cough of bronchitis. In the event of mycoplasmal pneumonia, an attachment of the Mycoplasma pneumoniae to the respiratory mucosa causes bronchial irritation. This type of irritation is characterized by sloughing of the affected cells in the bronchial lining. In this case, acute bronchitis might last for around ten days. Besides, there is a possibility for development bronchopneumonia resulting from the downward extension of the inflammation into the bronchioles or air sacs.
The predominance of the peribronchial and the neutrophils distribution of fibrotic alterations originate from the activities of colony-stimulating factors, interleukin 8, among other pro-inflammatory and chemotactic cytokines. The airway epithelial cells within the respiratory system discharge these inflammatory mediators to respond to infectious, toxic, and inflammatory stimuli as well as reduced discharge of regulatory components that include neutral endopeptidase or angiotensin-converting enzyme (Yang et al., 2016). This physiopathology process and alteration is what Maria might be undergoing the infection of acute bronchitis.
Behavioral Factors Affecting Bronchitis
There are behavioral factors that can increase the chance of an individual suffering acute bronchitis. Staying in dusty environment renders an individual more vulnerable to this disorder than those staying in a clean environment. The detrimental health conditions resulting from dust depend of on the prevalence of particular toxins that are found in the living environment. For instance, allergic reactions in the atmosphere increase the risk of bronchitis among other respiratory diseases associated with dust mites and proteases contained in the feces of dust mites. Excessive inhalation of chemical dust contaminants can also trigger the inflammation of the bronchial lining, leading to bronchitis or other respiratory disorders (Taylor-Clark and Undem, 2016).
Cigarette smoking, as well as exposure to secondhand smoke, contributes significantly to infection with bronchitis. The cigarette smoke has harmful toxins and chemicals that can affect the functionality of the lungs. Toxins that a smoker or those around them inhale directly into the lungs can cause severe irritation of the bronchial tube and other components of the respiratory system, triggering bronchitis disorder. Continuous exposure to cigarette may lead to inflammation and degradation of the lungs. In addition, acute bronchitis that takes long duration or repeats itself may eventually become chronic bronchitis, a disorder that is usually enhanced by cigarette smoking.
Gender Factors Affecting Bronchitis
Gender is another factor while evaluating the dominance of respiratory diseases. More males than females are exposed to conditions that trigger respiratory diseases. This situation is attributed to the fact that more men smoke than women do. According to WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic (2008), men smoke nearly five times as much as women, but the ratios of male-to-female smoking prevalence rates vary across countries. Besides, more women tend to maintain a high level of hygiene and are more sensitive to their surroundings as compared to men. Also, more men are involved in manual jobs, which exposes them to the atmosphere that is contaminated with dust, pollen grain, factory toxins among other particles. Bronchitis is more prevalent among men living in low socioeconomic populations as well as those living in urban centers and highly industrialized regions.
References
American Lung Association. (2012). Lung Health & Diseases. Retrieved from http://www.lung.org/.
Huether, S. E., & McCance, K. L. (2017). Understanding pathophysiology . (6th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby.
Taylor-Clark, T. E., & Undem, B. J. (2016). 26 Effect of Allergic Inflammation on Irritant Responsiveness in the Upper Airways. Toxicology of the Nose and Upper Airways , 390.
World Health Organization, & Research for International Tobacco Control. (2008). WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2008: the MPOWER package . World Health Organization.
Yang, L., Liu, G., Lin, Z., Wang, Y., He, H., Liu, T., & Kamp, D. W. (2016). Pro ‐ inflammatory response and oxidative stress induced by specific components in ambient particulate matter in human bronchial epithelial cells. Environmental toxicology , 31 (8), 923-936.
