How To Cope Up With Acute Bronchitis

Acute (fresh start) bronchitis refers to a state of irritation in the lower respiratory passages known as bronchi. To understand how critical this disease is, do you know that asthma and acute bronchitis are related to each other? Yeah, it is the symptoms and treatment to some extent. If a person suffering from asthma is infected by bronchitis, it would just worsen his/her condition further by making breathing extremely difficult. So, the amalgamation of the two would simple suffice to create health hazards. However, to be positive, there is always a solution for each problem that occurs in life. So, considering “health is wealth”, let’s take a look on how to prevent or cure acute bronchitis.

Acute Bronchitis Causes

Virus is the root cause of such kind of infection in the bronchi. This virus is otherwise responsible cold, but in bronchitis; it gets multiplied further in the respiratory tree. The impact of this infection is that the bronchial lining that is already damaged is now prone to bacterial attack. Other causes of acute bronchitis are:

• Basic lung problems such as chronic (long time) bronchitis due to low defensive power of lungs to fight against viruses of acute bronchitis
• Smoking that simply worsens the infection
• Contact with the irritant fumes
• Exposure to dust
• Air pollution (worst)
• Cold or humid weather (worst)

Acute Bronchitis Effects/Symptoms

Viruses or bacteria inflict swelling in the respiratory region. This swelling or inflammation leads to:

• Irritation in the respiratory area that produces cough.
• Excessive production of mucus (phlegm).
• Swelling of the bronchi lining (mucous membrane).
• Contraction of the airways that results in wheezing.
• Fever
• Fatigue
• Colored spit

Acute Bronchitis Treatment

As the virus is the cause of acute bronchitis, it is next to impossible to prescribe antibiotics, unless there is a suspicion of secondary bacterial infection. Listed are some of the remedies for treating acute bronchitis.

• Beta-2 agonists (usually for asthma) are meant to prevent wheeze and constant cough due to the infection. They are actually effective in case of children.
• Paracetamol (Panadol, Calpol) or aspirin (Disprin, Aspro clear) are for fever due to acute bronchitis. However, aspirin is not advisable for children below 16. But, it can be given if the doctor provides an approval for the same.
• Consume plenty of water.
• Cough obviously to push out the mucus.
• Consult the doctor immediately if any of the following occurs:
  • Difficulty in breathing
  • Change in the color of the skin or lips to blue or white
  • Symptoms prevailing for more than 10 days

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