04/08/2023
1. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬?
Bronchitis is an inflammation of the airways leading into your lungs.
When your airways (trachea and bronchi) get irritated, they swell up and fill with mucus, causing you to cough. Your cough can last days to a couple of weeks. It’s the main symptom of bronchitis.
Viruses are the most common cause of acute bronchitis. Smoke and other irritants can cause acute and chronic bronchitis.
2. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬?
When people talk about bronchitis, they usually mean acute bronchitis, a temporary condition that makes you cough. Some people get bronchitis so often that it’s considered chronic bronchitis.
* Acute bronchitis:
Acute bronchitis is usually caused by a viral infection and goes away on its own in a few weeks. Most people don’t need treatment for acute bronchitis.
* Chronic bronchitis:
You have chronic bronchitis if you have a cough with mucus most days of the month for three months out of the year. This goes on for at least two years.
3. 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭?
Anyone can get bronchitis, but you’re at higher risk if you:
- Smoke or are around someone who does.
- Have asthma, COPD or other breathing conditions.
- Have GERD (chronic acid reflux).
- Have an autoimmune disorder or other illness that causes inflammation.
- Are around air pollutants (like smoke or chemicals).
4. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲?
When your airways are irritated, your immune system causes them to swell up and fill with mucus. You cough to try to clear the mucus out. As long as there’s mucus or inflammation in your airways, you’ll keep coughing.
5. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬?
A persistent cough that lasts one to three weeks is the main symptom of bronchitis. You usually bring up mucus when you cough with bronchitis, but you might get a dry cough instead. You might also hear a whistling or rattling sound when you breathe (wheezing).
You might have other symptoms, including:
- Shortness of breath (dyspnea).
- Fever.
- Runny nose.
- Tiredness (fatigue).
6. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬?
You almost always get bronchitis from a virus. However, nearly anything that irritates your airways can cause it. Infectious and noninfectious causes of bronchitis include:
- Viruses. Viruses that cause bronchitis include influenza (the flu), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenovirus, rhinovirus (the common cold) and coronavirus.
- Bacteria. Bacteria that cause bronchitis include Bordetella pertussis, Mycoplasma pneumonia and Chlamydia pneumonia.
- Pollution.
- Smoking ci******es or ma*****na (cannabis).
7. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬?
You get bronchitis when your airways swell up and fill with mucus. You can get the viruses and bacteria that cause bronchitis from close contact (shaking hands, hugging, touching the same surfaces) with someone who has them. You don’t have to have bronchitis yourself to pass on a virus to someone else who ends up with bronchitis.
Other irritants, like to***co or pollutants, are in the air you breathe.
8. 𝐈𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬?
Bronchitis itself — inflammation of your airways — isn’t contagious, but the viruses and bacteria that can cause it are. For instance, if you’re sick with the flu, you might get bronchitis too. But when your friend gets the flu from you, their airways don’t get inflamed like yours did.
