Symptoms & Treatment of Acute & Chronic Bronchitis

Dr. Purushothaman
March 4, 2018

Bronchitis occurs when there is severe inflammation in the lining of your bronchial tubes. These tubes carry or pass air in our lungs. As a result, the patients who suffer from bronchitis face difficulty in breathings and cough a lot. There are two types of bronchitis, acute and chronic. Acute bronchitis is caused when viruses or bacteria attacks the body. On the other hand, chronic bronchitis is a result of smoking, exposure to dust or pollution. In other words, anything that can cause irritation to the tubes can lead to chronic bronchitis. It is important to recognize the symptoms of bronchitis to opt for medication and treatment on time. Follow a few health suggestions from the doctors for instant relief.

Symptoms of acute and chronic bronchitis

The symptoms for the both the types are quite similar to one another. As the causes might be a little different, people do experience different symptoms. Let us read more about the symptoms:

  • Acute Bronchitis- Coughing is one major symptom both the types. When one coughs for weeks and does not experience any relief, it is a better thing to consult a doctor. Apart from coughing, fatigue and swollen lymphatic glands are a sign that one is affected by bronchitis. Fever is also a common symptom of this condition. Along with the symptoms, the common ones are a runny nose, chest pain; sore throat, body aches and headache confirm that one is suffering from acute bronchitis.

  • Chronic Bronchitis- In chronic bronchitis, the common symptoms are high fever, severe coughing, wheezing is a common sign of bronchitis. The airways become narrower and one feels pain while they breathe. When one wheezes, there is a certain noise that scares the person. Chest infection is also a common and strong symptom that further helps one understand that they are suffering from chronic bronchitis.

The kids who suffer from bronchitis also feel similar symptoms, but they also suffer from loss of sleep and appetite. Children cannot feel strong enough and that leads to frequent vomiting and fatigue. The bodies tend to get weak and they need proper medication and treatment.  The doctors suggest Tips for eating well for proper nutrition.

Precautions during medication

One has to take certain precautions during treatment to feel better and get normal in lesser time. The first few things that one must do are staying away from dust and smoke. Those who have been smoking, they must quit smoking completely to feel better. Proper rest and sleep will further help one feel better and the medicines work better when the body feels relaxed. Consumption of honey and lemon helps cure the throat and that helps one to get rid of the pain and soreness in the throat that is caused due to excessive coughing. Along with this, one must always keep their hands clean and should make sure that they do not stay around people who smoke as that can possibly cause bronchitis.

Treatment

It is very essential to take certain steps when you have Bronchitis. You need to follow certain steps before you reach out for a doctor. The affected person must drink a lot of water and take sufficient rest. As bronchitis can ultimately lead you to dehydration, you need to drink plenty of fluids. Drinking water will make the thinning of mucus and coughing will never be hard for you. If you experience headache, you need to take ibuprofen or paracetamol to get relief from headache. People with asthma should not take ibuprofen. Consuming a lot of honey and lemon mixture will help to relieve sore throat and give relief from cough. Smokers need to quit smoking, or else bronchitis might get worse.

To avoid bronchitis, people must lead find ways to live a healthy lifestyle so that they are away from such painful diseases.

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