Acute Bronchitis

What is acute bronchitis?
Acute bronchitis is an infection of the bronchial (say: "brawn-kee-ull")
tree. The bronchial tree is made up of the tubes that carry air into your
lungs. When these tubes get infected, they swell and mucus (thick fluid)
forms inside them. This makes it hard for you to breathe. You may cough up
mucus and wheeze (make a whistling sound when you breathe).

What causes acute bronchitis?
Acute bronchitis is almost always caused by viruses that attack the lining
of the bronchial tree and cause infection. As your body fights back against
these viruses, more swelling occurs and more mucus is made. It takes time
for your body to kill the viruses and heal the damage to your bronchial
tubes.
In most cases, the same viruses that cause colds cause acute bronchitis.
Research has shown that bacterial infection is a much less common cause of
bronchitis than we used to think. Very rarely, an infection caused by a
fungus can cause acute bronchitis.

How do people get acute bronchitis?
The viruses that cause acute bronchitis are sprayed into the air or onto
people's hands when they cough. You can get acute bronchitis if you breathe
in these viruses. You can also get it if you touch a hand that is coated
with the viruses.
If you smoke or are around damaging fumes (such as those in certain kinds of
factories), you are more likely to get acute bronchitis and to have it
longer. This is because your bronchial tree is already damaged.

How is acute bronchitis treated?
Most cases of acute bronchitis will go away on their own after a few days or
a week. It's a good idea to get plenty of rest, drink lots of noncaffeinated
fluids (for example, water and fruit juices) and increase the humidity in
your environment.
Because acute bronchitis is usually caused by viruses, antibiotics
(medicines that kill bacteria) usually do not help. Even if you cough up
mucus that is colored or thick, antibiotics probably won't help you get
better any faster.
If you smoke, you should cut down on the number of cigarettes you smoke, or
stop smoking altogether. This will help your bronchial tree heal faster.
For some people with acute bronchitis, family doctors prescribe medicines
that are usually used to treat asthma. These medicines can help open the
bronchial tubes and clear out mucus. They are usually given with an inhaler.
An inhaler sprays the medicine right into the bronchial tree. Your family
doctor will decide if this treatment is right for you.

How long will the cough from acute bronchitis last?
You should call your family doctor if:
* You continue to wheeze and cough for more than 2 weeks, especially at
night or when you are active.
* You continue to cough for more than 2 weeks and sometimes have a
bad-tasting fluid come up into your mouth.
* You have a cough, you feel very sick and weak, and you have a high fever
that doesn't go down.
You cough up blood.
* You have trouble breathing when you lie down.
* Your feet swell.
Sometimes the cough from acute bronchitis lasts for several weeks or months.
Usually this happens because the bronchial tree is taking a long time to
heal. However, a cough that doesn't go away may be a sign of another
problem, like asthma or pneumonia.

How can I keep from getting acute bronchitis again?
One of the best ways to keep from getting acute bronchitis is to wash your
hands often to get rid of any viruses.
If you smoke, the best defense against acute bronchitis is to quit. Smoking
damages your bronchial tree and makes it easier for viruses to cause
infection. Smoking also slows down the healing, so it takes longer for you
to get well. [AAFP]