Acute Bronchitis - Treatment and Fast Cure for Acute Bronchitis

Inflammation of the mucous membrane that lines the bronchi, or main air passages of the lungs, is called bronchitis. If you have a respiratory infection, you may develop acute bronchitis, since the disorder is caused when the same viruses that cause colds and pharyngitis spread into the bronchi. If you have a healthy heart and healthy lungs, bronchitis usually clears up in a few days. In chronic bronchitis , prolonged, recurrent attacks cause gradual deterioration of the lungs.

What are the symptoms?

The main symptom of bronchitis is a deep cough that brings up grayish or yellowish phlegm, or sputum, from your lungs. Other symptoms are breathlessness, wheezing and a fever. You may also have pain in the upper chest, which gets worse when you cough

What are the risks?

Virtually everyone has an occasional attack of acute bronchitis. If you do not smoke cigarettes and you do not have chronic lung or heart trouble, you may have it once every few years. If you smoke, have a chest disorder such as asthma or bronchiectasis or live in an area where the air is very polluted, you are more likely to get the disease. If your lungs are congested because of heart failure you may also be particularly susceptible to acute bronchitis.

If you are a non-smoker who is generally healthy, there are few risks of complications from acute bronchitis. If you are particularly susceptible to bronchitis for any of the reasons mentioned above, you may have repeated attacks. These can damage the lining of the bronchi, impairing your ability to clear mucus from your air passages and leading to chronic bronchitis.

What should be done?

Do not ignore repeated attacks of acute bronchitis. Consult your physician to find out if there is an explanation. If you have not had bronchitis before, or if this is your first attack in several years, follow the self-help procedures suggested below.

What is the treatment?

Self-help: If you have a fever, take aspirin three or four times a day to bring it down. Take an over-the-counter cough medicine recommended by your physician, and follow the instructions on the label, to help soothe your cough. Stay home, not necessarily in bed but in a warm room. Use a vaporizer, a humidifier, or steam from hot water to moisten the air. This may help to clear your nasal passages and bronchi. This simple treatment is usually all that is needed. Call your physician if you become breathless, cough up blood, have a temperature above 101°F (38.5° C), or do not feel better in 48 hours.

If you have repeated attacks of bronchitis, remember that cold, damp living or working conditions can make you more susceptible to this disease. You may want to consider moving or changing your job.

Professional help: Because acute bronchitis is usually a viral infection, no specific treatment is possible. However, it is possible to relieve the symptoms. If your breathing is wheezy, your physician may prescribe a bronchodilator drug, which is usually taken by inhaling it. If your chest is sore from repeated attacks of coughing or if your cough is dry, your doctor may prescribe a cough suppressant. If your sputum becomes greenish­yellow, which indicates that you probably have a secondary bacterial infection, the physician may prescribe an antibiotic. Some physicians prescribe antibiotics in the early stages of the disease to try to prevent the occurrence of secondary bacterial infection.

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