You are caring for a client admitted with chronic bronchitis. The client is having difficulty breathing, and the family asks you what causes this difficulty. What would be your best response?
a. "Anytime there is a chronic disease process it is hard for the person to breathe."
b. "Having a chronic respiratory disease scars the lung and affects the effort it takes to breathe."
c. "In this particular case your family member is just overly tired and having problems breathing."
d. "Conditions such as chronic bronchitis cause thickening of the bronchial mucosa so it makes it harder to breathe."

Chronic bronchitis may be defined as the medical condition in which the cough persists with mucus in the lungs for more than a month. This may occur due to smoking or inhaling of dust or smoke.

The chronic bronchitis makes the bronchial mucosa thick and mixes with the cough. This hinders the breathing in the individual that suffers from the chronic bronchitis. The individual may have painful coughing and shows wheeziness, shortness of breath.

Thus, the correct answer is option (d).