LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Bronchitis: Airways
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Chronic bronchitis is defined as having a mucous producing cough for 3 months of a year for 2 years in a row. It is normally associated with constant irritation of the airways. While smoking is a major cause of chronic bronchitis, other factors such as dust and air pollution ... contribute to the problem.
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Unlike acute bronchitis, chronic bronchitis is an ongoing, serious disease. Smoking is the major cause, but air pollution and dust or toxic gases in the environment or workplace ... can contribute to the condition. In some people, chronic inflammation of the airways may lead to asthma.
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Acute bronchitis generally follows a viral respiratory infection. Initially, it affects your nose, sinuses, and throat and then spreads to the lungs. Sometimes, you may get another (secondary) bacterial infection in the airways.This means that bacteria infect the airways, in addition to the virus.
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With chronic bronchitis, the mucus cannot be cleared. Instead of helping to clean the lungs, the mucus blocks your airways. The mucus is thicker and more difficult to cough up. This means it's easier for bacteria to settle in your lower airways and become infected.
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Acute bronchitis is a common occurrence in the winter months and is associated with a number of viruses and bacteria that are spread among the population by droplet infection. It tends to develop after the common cold, another infection of the upper airways or as part of a flu of the larynx, trachea and bronchial tubes.
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The study by New Zealand's Medical Research Institute found that longtime pot smokers can develop symptoms of asthma and bronchitis, along with obstruction of the large airways and excessive lung inflation. The paper was released Tuesday ahead of its publication in the journal Thorax.
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