Additional factors in chronic bronchitis.

A review of persons with chronic bronchitis and controls without bronchitis showed several irritants around the home that aggravated cough, such as house dust, flowers and grasses, smoke, strong fumes, hair spray, insecticide, and soap powders. Most subjects with bronchitis were affected by exposure to one or more of these irritants for at least once a day for three months of the year or more. Out of 163 subjects with chronic bronchitis only six non-smokers were free of factors associated with pulmonary irritation. This evidence from non-smokers not exposed to air pollution adds further strength to the hypothesis that daily phlegm is caused by persistent inhalation of irritants.