Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Many people who have been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) wonder what the difference is between the two main subtypes of the disease,chronic bronchitisandemphysema. Chronic bronchitis affects the airways, while emphysema affects the air sacs. And while that sounds distinct enough, both can cause difficulty breathing, and the two conditions usually coexist.
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Learning more about their distinctive symptoms and underlying causes can help you better understand how chronic bronchitis and emphysema differ.
Symptoms of Chronic BronchitisCoughing up thick, discolored or yellow mucusShortness of breathChest discomfort or tightnessWheezingFatigueSymptoms of EmphysemaPersistent coughShortness of breathAn ongoing feeling that you’re not getting enough airWheezingFatigue
Symptoms of Chronic BronchitisCoughing up thick, discolored or yellow mucusShortness of breathChest discomfort or tightnessWheezingFatigue
Coughing up thick, discolored or yellow mucus
Shortness of breath
Chest discomfort or tightness
Wheezing
Fatigue
Symptoms of EmphysemaPersistent coughShortness of breathAn ongoing feeling that you’re not getting enough airWheezingFatigue
Persistent cough
An ongoing feeling that you’re not getting enough air
Symptoms Specific to Chronic Bronchitis
Chronic bronchitis causes inflammation in the bronchioles of the lungs.The bronchioles connect the trachea, or windpipe, to the lungs and are used to carry air in and out of the lungs.
Because the mucus (also referred to as phlegm or sputum) is so abundant and thick, it’s often difficult for a person with chronic bronchitis to expel it. This is why they may experience acough every day for an extended period of time. This differentiates the condition from acute bronchitis.
Additionally, large amounts of thick mucus make the lungs a perfect habitat for bacteria to thrive. For this reason,bacterial lung infectionsamong people who have chronic bronchitis are common and frequent.
Symptoms Specific to Emphysema
Emphysema refers to the damage and destruction done to the walls of the alveoli, the tiny air spaces in the lungs where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged during the breathing process.The alveoli provide oxygen to the bloodstream so when they are destroyed, it is difficult for the person with emphysema to breathe.
Emphysema also causes the lungs to gradually lose their elasticity. The lack of oxygen combined with the build-up of carbon dioxide can cause irreparable damage.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of adults living with chronic bronchitis continues to grow in the U.S. with numbers now exceeding 15 million.
The risk of emphysema is associated with the duration of smoking and the number of cigarettes smoked each day. Non-smokers can also develop emphysema if regularly exposed to secondhand smoke. Statistics from the CDC show that 3.8 million Americans have been diagnosed with emphysema.
The Health Risks of Secondhand Smoke
One main difference between chronic bronchitis and emphysema is that chronic bronchitis has a specific diagnosis—someone who has a chronic cough with mucus production every day for at least three months, for two years in a row. On the other hand, emphysema is a pathological term that refers to the actual damage to the alveoli.
Regardless, the diagnosis of either chronic bronchitis or emphysema requires a thorough medical history, physical examination, and a simple breath test calledspirometry, which measures how well your lungs are functioning. Spirometry can be performed in your healthcare provider’s office and is noninvasive; it only requires you to breathe into a mouthpiece.
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While there is no cure yet for emphysema or chronic bronchitis, there are scientifically proven treatment options that can help slow the progression of the disease and the reduction of symptoms. Treatment may involve oral drugs, inhaled medications, and surgery.
By kicking the habit, exercising regularly, losing weight, and using theappropriate medications, you can significantly reduce COPD symptoms and increase both your lifespan and quality of life.
A Word From Verywell
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kaminsky DA.“All that wheezes is not asthma” (or COPD)!.Chest. 2015;147(2):284-286. doi:10.1378/chest.14-1813Cleveland Clinic.Bronchitis.Widysanto A, Mathew G.Chronic bronchitis. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2025.Contemporary Clinic.Know the warning signs of COPD.Pahal P, Avula A, Sharma S.Emphysema. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2025.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About COPD.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.Additional ReadingHan MK, Dransfield MT, Martinez FJ.Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: definition, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and staging. In: UpToDate, Stoller JK (ed), UpToDate, Waltham, MA.
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kaminsky DA.“All that wheezes is not asthma” (or COPD)!.Chest. 2015;147(2):284-286. doi:10.1378/chest.14-1813Cleveland Clinic.Bronchitis.Widysanto A, Mathew G.Chronic bronchitis. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2025.Contemporary Clinic.Know the warning signs of COPD.Pahal P, Avula A, Sharma S.Emphysema. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2025.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About COPD.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.Additional ReadingHan MK, Dransfield MT, Martinez FJ.Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: definition, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and staging. In: UpToDate, Stoller JK (ed), UpToDate, Waltham, MA.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Kaminsky DA.“All that wheezes is not asthma” (or COPD)!.Chest. 2015;147(2):284-286. doi:10.1378/chest.14-1813Cleveland Clinic.Bronchitis.Widysanto A, Mathew G.Chronic bronchitis. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2025.Contemporary Clinic.Know the warning signs of COPD.Pahal P, Avula A, Sharma S.Emphysema. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2025.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About COPD.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Kaminsky DA.“All that wheezes is not asthma” (or COPD)!.Chest. 2015;147(2):284-286. doi:10.1378/chest.14-1813
Cleveland Clinic.Bronchitis.
Widysanto A, Mathew G.Chronic bronchitis. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2025.
Contemporary Clinic.Know the warning signs of COPD.
Pahal P, Avula A, Sharma S.Emphysema. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2025.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About COPD.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Han MK, Dransfield MT, Martinez FJ.Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: definition, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and staging. In: UpToDate, Stoller JK (ed), UpToDate, Waltham, MA.
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