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There are two important reasons you should read today\u2019s article:<\/p>\nThere are two important reasons you should read today\u2019s article:<\/p>\n
2)\tThere is still time for you to reverse yours even if you can\u2019t remove the core cause.\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n
So, what is the core cause of your chronic bronchitis? According to a new study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine<\/em>, the ailment is much older than you’d think.<\/p>\n The researchers already understood the risks of current and long-term exposure to air pollution in relation to the risk of chronic bronchitis.<\/p>\n Still, they wondered whether exposure from decades ago could have the same effect.<\/p>\n The study analyzed data from 1,308 participants, mostly non-Hispanic White (56%) or Hispanic (32%), with an average age of 32 years at the time of assessment.<\/p>\n Participants self-reported their chronic bronchitis symptoms, including bronchitis, persistent cough, and phlegm, through questionnaires.<\/p>\n The researchers focused on key pollutants, including NO2, ozone, and particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) and 10 micrometers (PM10).<\/p>\n To estimate the levels of exposure, they used inverse-distance-squared spatial interpolation, which calculated the pollution levels based on the participants’ residential history from birth to 17 years of age. This method allowed them to estimate the air pollution levels that each participant was exposed to during their formative years closely.<\/p>\n Remarkably, 25% of participants reported experiencing bronchitis symptoms in adulthood. Of course, this would not have developed into full-blown chronic bronchitis for all of them, but constant symptoms do put us at higher risk of developing a chronic condition.<\/p>\n When the researchers examined the relationship between childhood exposure to air pollution and the symptoms in adulthood, they found this:<\/p>\n 2.\tFor every standard deviation increase in NO2 exposure (11.1 parts per billion), the odds of experiencing bronchitis in adulthood increased by 69%.<\/p>\n 3.\tFor every standard deviation increase in PM10 exposure (14.2 micrograms per cubic meter), the odds of developing bronchitis in adulthood increased by 51%.<\/p>\n 4.\tThis relationship existed regardless of whether the children had asthma or bronchitis as children.<\/p>\n 5.\tThe effects of air pollution were more severe among individuals who had asthma during childhood, showing that these kids are particularly vulnerable to the long-term effects of air pollution.\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n While these findings may come too late if you already have chronic bronchitis, they can help you understand one of its possible causes. And this knowledge can save your children and grandchildren from suffering the same demise.<\/p>\n\n