Your bronchial tubes deliver air from your trachea (windpipe) into your lungs. When these tubes become inflamed, mucus can build up. This condition is called bronchitis, and it causes symptoms that can include coughing, shortness of breath, and low fever.
Bronchitis can be acute or chronic:
Symptoms of acute bronchitis
The first symptoms of acute bronchitis are similar to those of a cold or flu.
These symptoms can include:
After the initial infection, you’ll probably develop a cough. The cough will likely be dry at first, and then become productive, which means it will produce mucus. A productive cough is the most common symptom of acute bronchitis and can last from 10 days to three weeks.
Another symptom you may notice is a change of color in your mucus, from white to green or yellow. This doesn’t mean that your infection is viral or bacterial. It just means that your immune system is at work.
Call your doctor if you have any of the following symptoms in addition to the ones listed above:
Diagnosing acute bronchitis
In many cases, acute bronchitis will go away without treatment. But if you see your doctor because of symptoms of acute bronchitis, they will start with a physical exam.
During the exam, your doctor will listen to your lungs as you breathe, checking for symptoms such as wheezing. They’ll also you ask about your coughs — for instance, how frequent they are and whether they produce mucus. They may also ask about recent colds or viruses, and whether you have other problems breathing.
If your doctor is uncertain about your diagnosis, they may suggest a chest X-ray. This test helps your doctor know if you have pneumonia.
Blood tests and cultures might be needed if your doctor thinks you have another infection in addition to bronchitis.
Treatment for acute bronchitis
Unless your symptoms are severe, there’s not a lot your doctor can do to treat acute bronchitis. In most cases, treatment is largely comprised of home care.
These steps should help relieve your symptoms as you get better.
Looking to try one of these easy remedies? Grab a humidifier, some ginger tea, and dark honeyonline now and start feeling better sooner.
These tips can help ease most symptoms, but if you’re wheezing or having trouble breathing, talk to your doctor. They can prescribe inhaled medication to help open your airways.
When you feel sick, you may really hope your doctor will prescribe medication to make you feel better.
It’s important to know, though, that antibiotics aren’t recommended for people with acute bronchitis. Most cases of the condition are caused by viruses, and antibiotics don’t work on viruses, so the drugs wouldn’t help you.
However, if you have acute bronchitis and are at high risk of pneumonia, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics during cold and flu season. This is because acute bronchitis can develop into pneumonia, and antibiotics could help prevent this from happening.
Acute bronchitis in children
Children are more likely to develop acute bronchitis than the average adult. This is partly due to risk factors that only affect them, which may include:
The symptoms of acute bronchitis in children are pretty much the same as those in adults. For that reason, the treatment is very similar as well.
Your child should drink lots of clear fluids and get lots of bed rest. For fever and aches, consider giving them acetaminophen (Tylenol).
However, you shouldn’t give OTC medications to children younger than 6 years old without a doctor’s approval. Avoid cough medications as well, as they may not be safe.
Causes and risk factors of acute bronchitis
There are several potential causes of acute bronchitis, as well as factors that increase your risk of getting it.
Causes of acute bronchitis include viral and bacterial infections, environmental factors, and other lung conditions.
Viral infection: Viruses cause 85 to 95 percent of acute bronchitis cases in adults. The same viruses that cause the common cold or flu can cause acute bronchitis.
Bacterial infection: In rare cases, bacterial bronchitis can develop after a viral infection of bronchitis. This can result from infections by bacteria such as Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydia pneumoniae, and Bordetella pertussis (which causes whooping cough).
Irritants: Breathing in irritants such as smoke, smog, or chemical fumes can cause inflammation in your trachea and bronchial tubes. This can lead to acute bronchitis.
Other lung conditions: People with chronic bronchitis or asthma sometimes develop acute bronchitis. In these cases, acute bronchitis isn’t likely to be contagious because it’s not caused by an infection.
Factors that increase your risk of acute bronchitis include:
