Acute Bronchitis

Acute Bronchitis – Causes, Symptoms and Treatment for treating acute bronchitis

When we breathe in, we take air which passes through mouth, nose, and voice box into the trachea and continues the route to each lung via either the right or left bronchi Acute bronchitis is the inflammation of these bronchi tubes and makes it difficult for the air to reach the lungs.

In most cases, it is caused by viruses or bacteria and it lasts for several days or weeks. Common cold is also one of the reason behind acute bronchitis. Smoking is the commonest reason for this to happen. Chemical irritants can also cause acute bronchitis. When a person is suffering from acute bronchitis, sticky mucus fills up the bronchi causing them to swell up and this inflammation restricts the air to flow in and out.

The symptoms for acute bronchitis includes:
- Inflammation of bronchi tubes makes it difficult for air to pass through. It causes wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath.
- Fever and Chills
- Body pain
- Sore throat
- Fatigue
- It gets worse at night.
- Tickle feeling in back of throat.

Doctor should be called for if the cough and wheezing sound remains for more than two weeks or you have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which is a condition in which stomach acid gets into your esophagus (windpipe) or blood in your cough.

Diagnosis of acute bronchitis is done by clinical examination and sometimes microbiological examination of the phlegm. A chest X-ray to reveal any kind of inflammation in lungs is also done.
Pneumonia is a possible complication. Some people also may have sinusitis.

Treatment of acute bronchitis includes:
- Albuterol inhalation helps to dilate the bronchial tubes.
- Short-term steroid therapy will help minimize inflammation within the bronchial tubes.
- Steam inhalation.
- Take plenty of rest.
- Take antibiotics if the color of the phlegm changes.
- Fluid intake should be sufficient.
- Increase the humidity of the environment.
- Generally, acute bronchitis is usually caused by viruses, antibiotics do not help.

To prevent acute bronchitis:
- wash hands regularly.
- quit smoking.

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