Cause Īcute bronchitis can be caused by contagious pathogens, most commonly viruses. Fever and other systemic symptoms are rare in acute bronchitis their presence raises suspicion for influenza or pneumonia. Upper respiratory tract infections often precede acute bronchitis, with overlapping symptoms including headache, nasal congestion, sore throat.

The illness may also cause shortness of breath or wheezing. The primary symptom is cough with sputum that may be purulent. There are efforts to decrease the use of antibiotics in acute bronchitis. More than 10 million people in the United States visit a doctor each year for this condition with approximately 70% receiving antibiotics, most of which are not needed. About 5% of adults are affected and about 6% of children have at least one episode a year. Īcute bronchitis is one of the most common diseases. Tentative evidence supports honey and pelargonium to help with symptoms. An exception is when acute bronchitis is due to pertussis. Antibiotics should generally not be used. Cough medicine has little support for its use and is not recommended in children less than six years of age. Treatment of acute bronchitis typically involves rest, paracetamol (acetaminophen), and NSAIDs to help with the fever. Frequent hand washing and flu vaccination may also be protective. Prevention is by not smoking and avoiding other lung irritants. A chest X-ray may be useful to detect pneumonia. Other causes of similar symptoms include asthma, pneumonia, bronchiolitis, bronchiectasis, and COPD. Determining the underlying organism is typically not needed. The color of the sputum does not indicate if the infection is viral or bacterial. Diagnosis is typically based on a person's signs and symptom. A small number of cases are due to high levels of air pollution or bacteria such as Mycoplasma pneumoniae or Bordetella pertussis.

Risk factors include exposure to tobacco smoke, dust, and other air pollution. These viruses may be spread through the air when people cough or by direct contact. In more than 90% of cases, the cause is a viral infection. The cough may persist for several weeks afterward with the total duration of symptoms usually around three weeks. The infection may last from a few to ten days. Other symptoms include coughing up mucus, wheezing, shortness of breath, fever, and chest discomfort. Rest, paracetamol (acetaminophen), NSAIDs Īcute bronchitis, also known as a chest cold, is short-term bronchitis – inflammation of the bronchi (large and medium-sized airways) of the lungs. Figure C is an enlarged view of a bronchial tube with bronchitis.Ĭough with sputum, wheezing, shortness of breath, fever, chest discomfort Īsthma, pneumonia, bronchiolitis, bronchiectasis, COPD Figure B is an enlarged view of a normal bronchial tube. Figure A shows the location of the lungs and bronchial tubes.

Xray bronchitis