Bronchitis

• Cough that lasts up to a few weeks
• Tightness or soreness in the chest
• Mucus that is white, clear, yellow, or green, and may have some blood
• Sore throat
• Fatigue
• Watery eyes
• Mild headache and/or body aches
• Shortness of breath
• Fever
• Chills

The most common cause of bronchitis is a viral infection. This often happens shortly after you recover from either influenza an upper respiratory infection or a cold. Less often, a bacterial infection causes bronchitis. You can also sometimes get bronchitis from breathing in an irritant such as smoke, water, and pollutants.

Recent viral illness. A recent cold or influenza can lead to an acute case of bronchitis.

Smoking cigarettes. Smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke can put you at risk.

Reflux disease. If you suffer from severe heartburn or chronic reflux, stomach acid can be inhaled into the airways and cause irritation leading to bronchitis.

Your work. If you work around chemicals that irritate the lungs.

Low immunity. If you have a compromised immune system, you may tend to get bronchitis after other illnesses.

If you have any of the symptoms listed above, see your doctor for an evaluation. Be prepared to answer questions about how long you have been coughing, what the mucus looks like, and if you have recently been sick. The doctor will look in your ears, nose, and throat to check for signs of infection. They will also listen to your lungs with a stethoscope to check for wheezing or crackling sounds. Sometimes they place a little oxygen monitor on your finger to see how much oxygen you are getting into your body.

The following tests may be needed:

• Sputum culture
• Chest x-ray
• Blood tests

Bronchitis from a viral infection is usually treated with rest and fluids and will go away on its own in a few weeks. These additional treatments will help manage symptoms in the meantime:

Antibiotics. If the doctor suspects you have a case of bacterial bronchitis, you may be prescribed antibiotics. Antibiotics will not help a case of viral or exposure-related bronchitis but can prevent bacteria from causing a superimposed infection.

Cough syrup. If you have a moist cough, the doctor will recommend against cough syrup. You need to cough the mucus up so it does not progress to pneumonia. If you have a dry cough or are coughing at night, your doctor may recommend an over-the-counter (OTC) cough medicine or prescribe something stronger.

Inhaled medications. If you have severe wheezing, the doctor may give you an inhaler to open up your lungs. These include albuterol sulfate (bronchodilator) and/or steroid inhalers.

Corticosteroids. In severe cases of bronchitis, you may need an oral steroid to help reduce the inflammation.

You will want to increase your breathing comfort until the cough subsides. These tips can help:

• Don’t smoke and avoid breathing anything that irritates the lungs.
• Humidify the air in your home.
• Drink plenty of fluids, more than you normally drink.
• Stay out of the air that is either too hot or too cold.
• Rest as much as you can.

Chicken soup. Eat a nice hot bowl of chicken soup. Proponents say that hot chicken soup can help ease congestion and relieve coughing. Hot liquids in general can have a soothing effect.

Echinacea. Studies have shown that echinacea can reduce the severity of respiratory illnesses. With your doctor’s permission, take 300mg 3 times daily. Do not use echinacea if you are pregnant or if you suffer from an autoimmune disorder.

Eucalyptus oil. If you don’t have acute asthma, inhaling eucalyptus oil has been found to help with acute bronchitis or any other cough. Place one or two drops in the tray on your humidifier or in a steaming bowl of water.

Peppermint oil. Peppermint oil contains menthol, which can help thin mucus and relieve congestion.

Garlic. Garlic is said to be a powerful natural antiviral medication. Garlic can help lessen the severity of viral bronchitis and speed up recovery. Use caution if you are on blood thinners.

Practice good hand washing. Especially if it is cold and flu season. Use a good hand sanitizer when you are out in public.

Quit smoking. If you do not smoke, avoid secondhand smoke and make sure small children are not exposed to secondhand smoke.

Stay away from others who are sick. Avoid going around sick people during cold and flu season. Stay away from people who have an active cough.

Protect your lungs. If you are around anything that could irritate your lungs such as paint fumes, strong cleaning solutions, or smoke from fires, use a respirator. These are available in hardware stores.

Albert, R. H. (2010, December 01). Diagnosis and treatment of acute bronchitis. American Family Physician, 82(11), 1345-1350. Retrieved from American Academy of Family Physicians: https://www.aafp.org/afp/2010/1201/afp20101201p1345.pdf

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019, August 30). Chest cold (acute bronchitis). Retrieved from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/community/for-patients/common-illnesses/bronchitis.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). Preventing and treating bronchitis. Retrieved from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/community/downloads/Flyer-Bronchitis.pdf

Hart, A. M. (2014, September). Evidence-based diagnosis and management of acute bronchitis. The Nurse Practitioner, 39(9), 34-39. Retrieved from Allied Health: https://alliedhealth.ceconnection.com/files/EvidencebasedDiagnosisandManagementofAcuteBronchitis-1415888726241.pdf

Knutson, D. & Braun, C. (2002, May 15). Diagnosis and management of acute bronchitis. American Family Physician, 65(10), 2039-2046. Retrieved from American Academy of Family Physicians: https://internal.medicine.ufl.edu/files/2012/07/5.18.08.01.-Acute-Bronchitis-review.pdf

A.D.A.M. Writing Staff. (2015, December 19). Bronchitis. Retrieved from A.D.A.M.: https://ssl.adam.com/content.aspx?productid=107&pid=33&gid=000019&site=slu.adam.com&login=SLUC3551