Post by Marty Queen on Dec 27, 2006 15:36:15 GMT -5
Having been slowed down for the umpteenth year in a row from this shit, and having seen where others on the board are battling it as well, I thought some info on it might be good, as well as a few personal observations about how it had affected my cardio.
Last year, I just basically stopped doing cardio (on the advice of my doctor) while I had the cough, which lasted for upwards of 2 months. I still did some gym work, but no cardio. That was a MISTAKE. I've been thinking about how bronchitis sapped my conditioning, and I'm convinced that happened not so much because of the sickness itself, but because I let up on the cardio. Last week, after about a week and 2 days of being sick, I started feeling better and went to the track. I figured I would be for shit, because, for one thing, my cardio is a little more extreme than most people's, but I was able to do a full run of 5.3 miles, albeit slower then normal. I also got in one workout on the exercise bike, and went at high intensity for 65 minutes. Again, I wasn't as good as usual, but I finished.
Granted, I could feel the air struggling to get through my bronchial tubes, and it was somewhat painful. Also, I felt my CV system was way less efficient that normal because the air was having so much difficulty getting to my lungs. But it was great to be able to actually accomplish something while dealing with the cough.
The biggest drawback was an extended coughing session AFTER the workout. Don't know why that happened, but it sucked and lasted about 5 minutes each time.
I plan to continue doing cardio as long as I feel like doing it (the first week or so I just felt like total shit, so I didn't do anything but work and sleep).
I've done some reading on the subject and it seems the most important steps to recovering are to get plenty of fluids and plenty of rest. I thought it was interesting that antibiotics usually do very little to bronchitis -- that's always what my doc gave me. I think doctors do that to give patients the feeling they're being proactive. Personally, I'm not going to use antibiotics anymore for bronchitis (unless I'm sure the infection is bacterial, which only 10 percent of cases are). A course of antibiotics you do early in the winter might do you more good later on if you get the flu or something, because once you do a course of them, they usually won't do shit the second time around, or so my doctor friend tells me.
Anyway, this web site was pretty informative. Here is the article.
This came from familydoctor.org
Chronic Bronchitis
What is chronic bronchitis?
Chronic bronchitis is an inflammation, or irritation, of the airways in the lungs. Airways are the tubes in your lungs that air passes through. They are also called bronchial tubes. When the airways are irritated, thick mucus forms in them. The mucus plugs up the airways and makes it hard for you to get air into your lungs. Symptoms of chronic bronchitis include a cough that produces mucus (sometimes called sputum), trouble breathing and a feeling of tightness in your chest.
Return to top
What causes chronic bronchitis?
Cigarette smoking is the main cause of chronic bronchitis. When tobacco smoke is inhaled into the lungs, it irritates the airways and they produce mucus. People who have been exposed for a long time to other things that irritate their lungs, such as chemical fumes, dust and other substances, can also get chronic bronchitis.
Return to top
How does my doctor know if I have chronic bronchitis?
Your doctor will ask you about your symptoms: Are you coughing up mucus? Are you having trouble breathing? Does your chest feel tight? Do you smoke cigarettes? How many cigarettes do you smoke each day? How many years have you been smoking? Have you been breathing in other things that can irritate your lungs?
If your doctor thinks you have chronic bronchitis, you may be tested to find out if your lungs are damaged. You might have a pulmonary function test to see how well your lungs are working. During this test, you breathe into a machine that measures the amount of air in your lungs. Your doctor may also order blood tests and a chest x-ray.
Return to top
What can I do to help my breathing and reduce my coughing?
If you smoke, the most important thing you can do is to stop. The more smoke you breathe, the more it damages your lungs. If you stop smoking, you'll breathe better, and your lungs will begin to heal. (You'll also reduce your chance of getting lung cancer.) Ask your doctor to help you stop smoking.
Try to avoid other things that can irritate your lungs, such as aerosol products like hairspray, spray deodorant and spray paint. Also avoid breathing in dust or chemical fumes. To protect your lungs, wear a mask over your nose and mouth if you are using paint, paint remover, varnish, or anything else with strong fumes.
Return to top
Can medicine treat chronic bronchitis?
Yes. Your doctor may prescribe a medicine called a bronchodilator to treat your chronic bronchitis. This medicine dilates, or opens, the airways in your lungs and helps you breathe better.
This medicine is usually inhaled (breathed in) rather than taken as a pill. An inhaler is the device used to get the medicine into your lungs. It's important to use your inhaler the right way, so you get the most from the medicine. Ask your doctor to show you how to use your inhaler.
Your doctor may also prescribe medicine, such as theophylline, for you to take in pill form.
If your symptoms don't get better with these medicines, your doctor may prescribe steroids. You can take steroids either with an inhaler or in pill form.
Return to top
Will antibiotics help chronic bronchitis?
In general, antibiotics don't help chronic bronchitis. Antibiotics may be needed if you get a lung infection along with your chronic bronchitis. If you have a lung infection, you may cough up more mucus. This mucus might be yellow or dark green. You also may have a fever and shortness of breath.
Because chronic bronchitis increases your risk of lung infections, be sure to get a flu shot every year. Also, get a pneumococcal vaccination to protect against pneumonia.
Return to top
A note about vaccines
Sometimes the amount of a certain vaccine cannot keep up with the number of people who need it. More info...
Return to top
What about oxygen therapy?
Because of the damage from chronic bronchitis, your lungs may not be able to get enough oxygen into your body. Your doctor may prescribe oxygen if your chronic bronchitis is severe and medicine doesn't help you feel better. If your doctor prescribes oxygen for you, be sure to use it day and night to get the most benefit from it. Oxygen can help you breathe better and live longer.
Return to top
What else can I do to help my lungs?
Exercising regularly can strengthen the muscles that help you breathe. Try to exercise at least 3 times a week. Start by exercising slowly and for just a little while. Then slowly increase the time you exercise each day and how fast you exercise. For example, you might begin exercising by walking slowly for 15 minutes 3 times a week. Then, as you get in better shape, you can increase your walking speed. You can also increase the length of time you walk to 20 minutes, then 25 minutes, then 30 minutes. Ask your doctor for help creating an exercise plan that's right for you.
An exercise program called pulmonary rehabilitation may help you improve your breathing. Pulmonary rehabilitation is often given by a respiratory therapist (a health care worker who knows about lung treatments). Your doctor may refer you to the pulmonary rehabilitation program at your local hospital.
A breathing method called "pursed-lip breathing" may also help you. To do this, you take a deep breath and then breathe out slowly through your mouth while you hold your lips as if you're going to kiss someone. Pursed-lip breathing slows down the fast breathing that goes with chronic bronchitis. It may help you feel better.
Last year, I just basically stopped doing cardio (on the advice of my doctor) while I had the cough, which lasted for upwards of 2 months. I still did some gym work, but no cardio. That was a MISTAKE. I've been thinking about how bronchitis sapped my conditioning, and I'm convinced that happened not so much because of the sickness itself, but because I let up on the cardio. Last week, after about a week and 2 days of being sick, I started feeling better and went to the track. I figured I would be for shit, because, for one thing, my cardio is a little more extreme than most people's, but I was able to do a full run of 5.3 miles, albeit slower then normal. I also got in one workout on the exercise bike, and went at high intensity for 65 minutes. Again, I wasn't as good as usual, but I finished.
Granted, I could feel the air struggling to get through my bronchial tubes, and it was somewhat painful. Also, I felt my CV system was way less efficient that normal because the air was having so much difficulty getting to my lungs. But it was great to be able to actually accomplish something while dealing with the cough.
The biggest drawback was an extended coughing session AFTER the workout. Don't know why that happened, but it sucked and lasted about 5 minutes each time.
I plan to continue doing cardio as long as I feel like doing it (the first week or so I just felt like total shit, so I didn't do anything but work and sleep).
I've done some reading on the subject and it seems the most important steps to recovering are to get plenty of fluids and plenty of rest. I thought it was interesting that antibiotics usually do very little to bronchitis -- that's always what my doc gave me. I think doctors do that to give patients the feeling they're being proactive. Personally, I'm not going to use antibiotics anymore for bronchitis (unless I'm sure the infection is bacterial, which only 10 percent of cases are). A course of antibiotics you do early in the winter might do you more good later on if you get the flu or something, because once you do a course of them, they usually won't do shit the second time around, or so my doctor friend tells me.
Anyway, this web site was pretty informative. Here is the article.
This came from familydoctor.org
Chronic Bronchitis
What is chronic bronchitis?
Chronic bronchitis is an inflammation, or irritation, of the airways in the lungs. Airways are the tubes in your lungs that air passes through. They are also called bronchial tubes. When the airways are irritated, thick mucus forms in them. The mucus plugs up the airways and makes it hard for you to get air into your lungs. Symptoms of chronic bronchitis include a cough that produces mucus (sometimes called sputum), trouble breathing and a feeling of tightness in your chest.
Return to top
What causes chronic bronchitis?
Cigarette smoking is the main cause of chronic bronchitis. When tobacco smoke is inhaled into the lungs, it irritates the airways and they produce mucus. People who have been exposed for a long time to other things that irritate their lungs, such as chemical fumes, dust and other substances, can also get chronic bronchitis.
Return to top
How does my doctor know if I have chronic bronchitis?
Your doctor will ask you about your symptoms: Are you coughing up mucus? Are you having trouble breathing? Does your chest feel tight? Do you smoke cigarettes? How many cigarettes do you smoke each day? How many years have you been smoking? Have you been breathing in other things that can irritate your lungs?
If your doctor thinks you have chronic bronchitis, you may be tested to find out if your lungs are damaged. You might have a pulmonary function test to see how well your lungs are working. During this test, you breathe into a machine that measures the amount of air in your lungs. Your doctor may also order blood tests and a chest x-ray.
Return to top
What can I do to help my breathing and reduce my coughing?
If you smoke, the most important thing you can do is to stop. The more smoke you breathe, the more it damages your lungs. If you stop smoking, you'll breathe better, and your lungs will begin to heal. (You'll also reduce your chance of getting lung cancer.) Ask your doctor to help you stop smoking.
Try to avoid other things that can irritate your lungs, such as aerosol products like hairspray, spray deodorant and spray paint. Also avoid breathing in dust or chemical fumes. To protect your lungs, wear a mask over your nose and mouth if you are using paint, paint remover, varnish, or anything else with strong fumes.
Return to top
Can medicine treat chronic bronchitis?
Yes. Your doctor may prescribe a medicine called a bronchodilator to treat your chronic bronchitis. This medicine dilates, or opens, the airways in your lungs and helps you breathe better.
This medicine is usually inhaled (breathed in) rather than taken as a pill. An inhaler is the device used to get the medicine into your lungs. It's important to use your inhaler the right way, so you get the most from the medicine. Ask your doctor to show you how to use your inhaler.
Your doctor may also prescribe medicine, such as theophylline, for you to take in pill form.
If your symptoms don't get better with these medicines, your doctor may prescribe steroids. You can take steroids either with an inhaler or in pill form.
Return to top
Will antibiotics help chronic bronchitis?
In general, antibiotics don't help chronic bronchitis. Antibiotics may be needed if you get a lung infection along with your chronic bronchitis. If you have a lung infection, you may cough up more mucus. This mucus might be yellow or dark green. You also may have a fever and shortness of breath.
Because chronic bronchitis increases your risk of lung infections, be sure to get a flu shot every year. Also, get a pneumococcal vaccination to protect against pneumonia.
Return to top
A note about vaccines
Sometimes the amount of a certain vaccine cannot keep up with the number of people who need it. More info...
Return to top
What about oxygen therapy?
Because of the damage from chronic bronchitis, your lungs may not be able to get enough oxygen into your body. Your doctor may prescribe oxygen if your chronic bronchitis is severe and medicine doesn't help you feel better. If your doctor prescribes oxygen for you, be sure to use it day and night to get the most benefit from it. Oxygen can help you breathe better and live longer.
Return to top
What else can I do to help my lungs?
Exercising regularly can strengthen the muscles that help you breathe. Try to exercise at least 3 times a week. Start by exercising slowly and for just a little while. Then slowly increase the time you exercise each day and how fast you exercise. For example, you might begin exercising by walking slowly for 15 minutes 3 times a week. Then, as you get in better shape, you can increase your walking speed. You can also increase the length of time you walk to 20 minutes, then 25 minutes, then 30 minutes. Ask your doctor for help creating an exercise plan that's right for you.
An exercise program called pulmonary rehabilitation may help you improve your breathing. Pulmonary rehabilitation is often given by a respiratory therapist (a health care worker who knows about lung treatments). Your doctor may refer you to the pulmonary rehabilitation program at your local hospital.
A breathing method called "pursed-lip breathing" may also help you. To do this, you take a deep breath and then breathe out slowly through your mouth while you hold your lips as if you're going to kiss someone. Pursed-lip breathing slows down the fast breathing that goes with chronic bronchitis. It may help you feel better.