Acute bronchitis is an inflammation of the lung's air passages (bronchial tubes). Acute bronchitis comes on suddenly and typically lasts only a short time. The usual cause is an infection, most often viral but sometimes bacterial. It may also be caused by chemical irritants. Often bronchitis will begin with a cold virus that affects the nose and throat and then spreads into the deeper airways. Severe cases of bronchitis, if not treated, can lead to pneumonia. Risk increases with chronic respiratory disease, smoking, poor general health with lowered resistance, or in the elderly and young people.

SYMPTOMS MAY INCLUDE: 

• Cough, usually with a great deal of mucous production
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Chest discomfort, which may be felt as pressure or a sense of burning
• Wheezing or shortness of breath

WHAT YOUR DOCTOR CAN DO:

• Your doctor will need to determine if the bronchitis is caused by a bacteria or virus.
• Prescribe antibiotics for bacterial infections only.
• If the cause is a virus, treatment is focused on symptomatic relief. Antibiotics are not effective against viruses. Overuse of antibiotics can lead to "drug-resistant" bacteria.
• Expectorants or drugs to ease your breathing may be prescribed.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

• DO NOT smoke and avoid other irritants and pollutants.
• Maintain a nutritional diet, get plenty of rest, and increase your intake of fluids, especially water and other clear liquids.
• You can increase air moisture with hot showers or cool-mist humidifiers. Moisture helps to thin secretions, making them easier to cough up. Expectorants may also help thin mucus. Talk to your doctor before taking cough suppressants. Generally, they are used for non-productive coughs. If your cough is productive (mucous-producing), it is important to cough it up rather than trap it in your lungs.
• Prevention includes frequent handwashing; using disposable tissues; avoiding close contact with persons who have colds and other respiratory infections; not smoking; and avoiding inhaled irritants, including second-hand smoke.
• Talk to your doctor about the benefits of a yearly flu shot.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT:

• Acute bronchitis is usually over in about 1-2 weeks, although it depends on your general state of health and how early you started treatment. The cough may last for several weeks after all other symptoms have disappeared.
• Complications may include pneumonia, chronic respiratory infection, secondary bacterial bronchitis, or pleurisy (inflammation of the lining of the lungs).

CALL 1061 OR SEEK IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ASSISTANCE If you have symptoms of acute bronchitis; if, during treatment, you experience shortness of breath; high fever; thick or discolored sputum; or if you are coughing up blood.