Respiratory System Encounter

For the last couple of weeks I have been suffering from a persistent cough that I initially ignored, thinking it would go away. I initially became very sick about a month ago. I was able to recuperate from most of the fever symptoms but the cough persisted. Finally, the cough began to subside for about 2-3 weeks. However, during acrofest we were working outdoors a lot and my symptoms came back. This time the cough was worse than the first time. I noticed that I was experiencing wheezing and shortness of breath upon aggressive cough episodes. While conversing with the doctor I work for he suggested I go see a doctor immediately because he thought it could wither be chronic bronchitis or asthma at this point. Sure enough, my doctor told me that she believes I might have asthma :(. I also learned that there is a link between people who suffer from eczema to either have asthma or develop asthma in the future. I have had eczema ever since I was a little girl and the doctor explained to me how it is not uncommon for the asthma to develop until later in life. She is not 100% sure I have asthma, but took the precaution in prescribing an inhaler for me.
After this, I researched both chronic bronchitis and asthma to learn more about what exactly might be going on inside of me. Chronic bronchitis is one of the C.O.P.D's that targets the bronchial tubes by causing inflammation of the epithelial lining and extra production of goblet cells. The excessive amount of goblet cells are stimulated to secrete extra mucus. This along with the epithelial lining inflammation constricts the airway. Chronic bronchitis can be triggered by a cold but also by tobacco smoke and irritant particles.
The link between eczema and asthma is in the allergic response. It is hypothesized that the defective skin barrier exhibited in eczema causes an immune response which produces an inflammatory response to any allergens on the surface of the body. This includes the surface of the airways in the lungs. There is also a protein component which appears to link the two diseases. The protein thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is produced in damaged skin, and it believed to cause asthmatic symptoms.