Bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchial tubes, the airways that carry air to your lungs. There are two main types: acute and chronic.
Symptoms
- a cough, often bringing up mucus;
- shortness of breath and wheezing;
- a low fever;
- chest tightness.
Most acute bronchitis improves within several days, but the cough can last several weeks after the infection is gone.
Causes
- Viruses, most often: the same ones that cause colds and the flu, spread through the air when people cough or by touch, such as unwashed hands.
- Irritants: tobacco smoke, air pollution, dust, vapors and fumes.
- Bacteria, less often.
Diagnosis
Your provider will ask about symptoms and listen to your breathing, and may order other tests.
Treatment
- rest and fluids;
- aspirin (adults only) or acetaminophen for fever;
- a humidifier or steam;
- inhaled medicine to open the airways if you're wheezing.
Antibiotics won't help a viral infection; you may get them if the cause is bacterial.
Sources
Based on "Acute Bronchitis," MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, drawing on the NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; a work of the United States government in the public domain.
Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain) · Adapted from medlineplus.gov
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