What is the treatment for chronic bronchitis?
For the majority of cases, the initial treatment is simple to prescribe but frequently ignored or rejected by the patient – stop smoking cigarettes and avoid second-hand tobacco smoke. People should be encouraged in every way to cease smoking, as continuation will only cause further lung damage. Similarly, blocking or removing other underlying causes of repeated bronchial irritation is a treatment goal. Two major classes of medications are used to treat chronic bronchitis, bronchodilators and steroids. • Bronchodilators (for example, albuterol [Ventolin, Proventil, AccuNeb, Vospire, ProAir], metaproterenol [Alupent], formoterol [Foradil], salmeterol [Serevent]) work by relaxing the smooth muscles that encircle the bronchi, which allows the inner airways to expand. • Steroids (for example, prednisone, methylprednisolone [Medrol, Depo-Medrol]) reduce the inflammatory reaction and thus decrease the bronchial swelling and secretions that in turn allows better airflow because of reduced air
