Pulmonology focuses on diagnosing and treating lung and airway conditions such as asthma, COPD, and pneumonia, as well as overall respiratory health.
Send us all your questions or requests, and our expert team will assist you.
The diagnosis of chronic bronchitis begins with a meticulous clinical history. The physician acts as a detective, establishing the temporal criteria for the disease: a productive cough for 3 months in 2 consecutive years. The history must probe deeply into exposure: calculating “pack-years” of smoking (packs per day multiplied by years smoked), identifying occupational exposures to dusts or fumes, and assessing indoor air quality (biomass fuel). A history of childhood respiratory infections or a family history of lung disease is crucial for identifying genetic risks. The clinician also evaluates the impact of symptoms on daily life using validated tools like the CAT (COPD Assessment Test) or the mMRC (Modified Medical Research Council) dyspnea scale. These tools quantify the symptom burden, which is essential for guiding treatment intensity.
While early disease may present with a routine exam, advanced chronic bronchitis has distinct physical signs.
Percussion: Hyper-resonance (a drum-like sound) upon tapping the chest indicates air trapping.
Spirometry is the non-invasive, confirmatory test for airflow limitation. It measures the volume of air a patient can exhale and the speed of exhalation.
For patients with low pulse oximetry saturations (<92%) or severe FEV1 (<35%), an ABG is performed by drawing blood from an artery.
The World Health Organization recommends that every patient diagnosed with COPD/chronic bronchitis be screened once for Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency. This is done via a blood test measuring the level of the AAT protein. If levels are low, genetic phenotyping/genotyping is done. Identifying this is critical because it changes management (augmentation therapy is available) and requires family screening.
Routine sputum culture is not done for stable patients. However, it is vital in specific scenarios:
Evaluating the “whole patient” is essential.
Send us all your questions or requests, and our expert team will assist you.
Spirometry requires maximum effort to measure your lung capacity and the degree of obstruction accurately; a weak effort can yield false results, leading to incorrect treatment.
Yes, a CT scan can visualize the thickness of the airway walls and the destruction of air sacs (emphysema) in great detail, giving a clear picture of the structural damage.
Oxygen saturation (finger clip) estimates oxygen levels, while a blood gas (needle in wrist) precisely measures oxygen, carbon dioxide, and blood acidity, giving a complete picture of lung function.
Because Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency makes your lungs incredibly sensitive to smoke, having both the gene and the smoking history causes much more severe disease that may need special protein replacement therapy.
If you snore, have morning headaches, or are tired despite sleeping, you might have sleep apnea along with bronchitis; treating both is critical for your heart and oxygen levels.
Leave your phone number and our medical team will call you back to discuss your healthcare needs and answer all your questions.
Your Comparison List (you must select at least 2 packages)
