What Is Asthmatic Bronchitis?

"Asthmatic bronchitis" is a term that is used often to refer to people who have both asthma and bronchitis or who have symptoms that overlap the two conditions. However, it's not an official medical diagnosis.

"It's really not a clear entity as a diagnosis," Len Horovitz, MD, a pulmonologist with Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, told Health. Dr. Horovitz added that the term may have originated decades ago when medical knowledge was less advanced and diagnoses less specific.

To better understand what asthmatic bronchitis is, it helps to first understand asthma and bronchitis, both of which are official diagnoses but separate diseases.

What Is Asthma?

Asthma is a chronic lung condition that causes inflammation in your airways. Asthma is diagnosed through lung function tests and is treatable, often with inhaled corticosteroids and by avoiding things that trigger your symptoms.

Symptoms of Asthma

If you have asthma, your airways may experience swelling, clogging, or a tightening of the muscles. This makes it difficult for air to move in and out of your lungs which can cause symptoms like:

• Chest tightness
• Cough
• Shortness of breath
• Wheezing

The occurrence and severity of your symptoms vary with each person and depend on how often you are exposed to your triggers.

Causes of Asthma

The cause of asthma isn't well understood but there are many things that can trigger or worsen symptoms of asthma.

The most common type of asthma is allergic asthma which is when an allergen, such as pollen, mold, or pet dander, causes the airways to narrow, which then triggers symptoms.

There is also nonallergic asthma which is caused by triggers such as:

• Air pollution
• Breathing cold air
• Household chemicals
• Infections
  
• Tobacco smoke

You can also have occupational asthma which results from breathing in chemicals or dust from work or exercise-induced asthma which is triggered as a result of physical exercise.

What Is Bronchitis?

There are two types of bronchitis—acute and chronic. Acute bronchitis is often caused by a viral infection but can also be caused by a bacterial infection. People who get acute bronchitis usually recover in a few days or weeks.

Chronic bronchitis, on the other hand, is a type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) that makes it difficult to breathe. It's somewhat treatable but not curable—and generally causes progressive lung damage.

Symptoms of Bronchitis

The symptoms of acute and chronic bronchitis are similar to the symptoms of asthma:

• Cough that produces a lot of mucus
• Frequent coughing
• Shortness of breath
• Tightness in your chest
• Wheezing

The main difference between the symptoms of asthma and bronchitis is that people with bronchitis can have a cough that produces mucus.

Cause of Bronchitis

Chronic bronchitis is often diagnosed in people who are or have been smokers, or who have been exposed to other lung irritants over a long period of time. Other irritants can include:

• Air pollution
• Chemical fumes
• Dust
• Secondhand smoke

This long-term exposure can damage the lungs and airways which can make it difficult to breathe. Although it's rare, chronic bronchitis can also result from a genetic condition called alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, which is a condition that can cause lung and liver disease.

What Does Asthmatic Bronchitis Mean?

Even though bronchitis and asthma are separate diseases, people with asthma can certainly get bronchitis—especially the acute form—just like anyone else. This is one way the term "asthmatic bronchitis" may be used.

Asthmatic bronchitis can also refer to the degree of symptoms with acute bronchitis. "If severe enough, [acute bronchitis] will have characteristics of asthma, like wheezing and chest tightness," said Dr. Rizzo. "This is often called asthmatic bronchitis."

Asthmatic bronchitis can also be taken to mean "symptoms of cough with sputum production as opposed to other asthma symptoms such as wheeze or shortness of breath," Amber Oberle, MD, a medical instructor at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, told Health.

Asthma vs. Bronchitis

Although considered two different conditions, asthma and bronchitis do have a lot of overlap. They both involve inflammation or swelling in the airways, and, specifically, they both can affect the bronchial tubes, which tunnel air in and out of your lungs.

In both cases, "the underlying process is inflammation in the airway," Albert A. Rizzo, MD, chief medical officer for the American Lung Association, told Health. "That's the common denominator."

The conditions also share similar symptoms like coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness but the inflammation in the airways is caused by different things.

Bronchitis is caused by a virus, bacterial infection, or long-term exposure to irritants, such as tobacco smoke, that can damage the lungs. Sometimes, asthma can be triggered by tobacco smoke but that isn't the case for every person with asthma. While the cause of asthma isn't clear, genetics and your environment may play a role and you can be triggered by things such as allergens, exercise, and chemicals.

Treatments for Asthma and Bronchitis

The therapies for both bronchitis and asthma can also overlap. Both asthma and chronic bronchitis can be treated with inhalers that contain bronchodilators that open up the airway. The inhaler may also contain steroids for reducing inflammation.

Asthma treatment focuses on targeting your triggers. Once you are able to recognize what your triggers are, you can work to avoid them which can prevent a reaction. For example, if your trigger is pollen, you should minimize outdoor exposure during high pollen counts.

Additional treatment for chronic bronchitis involves lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking and avoiding secondhand smoke. Smoking will further irritate the lungs and worsen your symptoms. If your symptoms are severe, you may also need oxygen therapy.

Are People With Asthma More Likely to Get Bronchitis?

It's unclear if people with asthma are more prone to bronchitis.

"You could argue that having asthma means your airways are inflamed and that the immune defenses in those airways are not optimal, which may predispose you to a bronchial infection," said Dr. Rizzo.

If you use oral corticosteroids as an asthma treatment, there is a small risk that your immune system may become suppressed which can increase the risk of infections, including bronchial infections.

Controlling your symptoms is crucial for people with asthma. Just because there is an increased risk of having a suppressed immune system, doesn't mean you should stop taking your medication. If you are concerned about the side effects of your medications, consult a healthcare provider.

How well your asthma is controlled could also affect your risk of bronchitis, added Dr. Rizzo.

A Quick Review

Asthma and bronchitis are two separate conditions that appear similar in symptoms and treatment options. Both asthma and bronchitis can cause similar symptoms but the causes can be different.

Asthma has many different triggers such as allergens, exercise, or chemicals while bronchitis can be caused by long-term exposure to lung irritants such as smoking or air pollution, or a virus or bacterial infection.