Acute Bronchitis

Acute bronchitis

        Acute bronchitis usually follows a viral infection, a common cold and it is more common during influenza epidemics. The tubes that carry air to the lungs, also named bronchial tubes are inflamed and irritated. It is likely to occur to individuals who are cigarette smokers. This disease has increased prevalence in the winter months and it usually lasts for a short period of time 2 or 3 weeks. The irritation may persist even after the disease has been cured; the person may cough up to a month.

        The disease begins with an irritating and unproductive cough. The cough becomes productive; the sputum turns from white to yellow or green. The person may experience low grade fever, chest pain and noisy breathing. The infection spreads from the level of the nose and throat to the bronchi where it will produce edem and the growth of mucus. The person may also have a fever that persists, noisy breathing, cough that may cause turbulence of sleep.

        One may also experience: voice change, wheeze, loss of appetite, throat clearing, runny nose, chills and sore throat.
Causes of acute bronchitis:

• Acute bronchitis is caused by viruses that create infection at the level of the bronchi.
• It can also be caused by bacteria but this happens very rarely and it requires treatment with antibiotics.
• Other causes are: cold, humidity, vocal efforts.

       Viruses are not affected by antibiotics and as this type of disease is mostly caused by viruses it is not indicated to take antibiotics. Also one should not take pills that stop cough if it is a productive cough as the phlegm is not eliminated any more. The person that suffers from acute bronchitis should be aware of the fact that this disease is highly contagious. The person infected is contagious as long the signs of the disease persist.

Acute bronchitis pictures

       One way to prevent getting acute bronchitis is to regularly wash your hands as this prevents viruses getting into your body. Another method is to stop smoking as smoking damages the bronchial tree and for this reason is easier for viruses to cause infection. Acute Bronchitis can be treated at home but it is recommended to seek a doctor’s advice. The treatment for bronchitis consists in reducing cough and fever but for this, one must use cough drops and drink a lot of fluids.

       Also the immune system plays a very important role; if the immune system is low the body is unprotected against bacteria and viruses. When seeking the doctor for treatment one should also ask about ways in which to fortify the immune system. If acute bronchitis is not treated it can result in pneumonia, asthma and other lung diseases. When suffering from acute bronchitis one must see a doctor in order to be sure that the treatment is the correct one. In this way we exclude the possibility of developing complications.