Did you know the difference between acute and chronic bronchitis? While they cause somewhat similar symptoms, the duration and chance of recurrence are different. Chronic bronchitis symptoms are severe and get worse over time. You need treatment to improve your condition. However, acute bronchitis gets better on its own with home remedies. Learn what are the differences between acute and chronic bronchitis in this article. Contact the best pulmonologist in Brooklyn by visiting Doral Health and Wellness Pulmonary Center.
Differences between acute and chronic bronchitis
At first glance, both acute and chronic bronchitis seem similar, but they aren’t. Acute bronchitis is caused by a cold and flu-type virus and causes minor symptoms that get better in just a few weeks. Whereas chronic bronchitis is more serious because it keeps coming back and causes ongoing irritation or inflammation of the bronchial tube lining. It can last for at least 3 months and comes back at least 2 years in a row.
Causes
While both types of bronchitis cause the same inflammation and irritation, chronic bronchitis lasts longer than acute bronchitis. Generally, acute bronchitis is caused by common cold or flu viruses. Rarely, acute bronchitis may be caused due to bacterial infection.
The most common viral infections that cause acute bronchitis include:
- Rhinovirus, which causes the common cold.
- Adenovirus, which causes cold-like symptoms, pneumonia, and diarrhea.
- Influenza A and B, which causes flu.
- Human parainfluenza virus, which often causes respiratory illnesses in children.
- Respiratory syncytial virus commonly causes bronchiolitis and pneumonia in children under 1 year old.
Bacterial causes of acute bronchitis are:
- Mycoplasma pneumoniae causes tracheobronchitis or walking pneumonia.
- Streptococcus pneumoniae causes middle ear infections, meningitis, and sinus infections.
- Hemophilus influenzae causes ear infections and bloodstream infections.
- Moraxella catarrhalis causes middle ear and sinus infections in children.
- Staphylococcus aureus causes skin infections, pneumonia, and infection of the heart valves.
- Bordetella pertussis causes whooping cough.
These infections that cause acute bronchitis may get better in just a few days, but the cough can last for weeks.
Chronic bronchitis is also caused by the same viruses as acute bronchitis. However, other factors increase the risk of chronic bronchitis which include:
- Dust
- Smoking inhalation
- Burnt coal and smoke
- Emissions from engines, welding fumes, and air pollution
- Certain vapors like house pain, work as a builder, or hairspray.
Symptoms
Usually, acute, and chronic bronchitis causes somewhat similar symptoms.
Acute bronchitis causes symptoms similar to cold and flu, which include:
- Sneezing
- Runny nose
- Sore throat
- Body aches
- Fever
- Cough with green or yellow mucus
Some rare symptoms you may experience are:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Body aches
- Low fever
- Runny nose
- Fatigue
While these symptoms get better on their own, visiting your doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment can improve recovery time.
Chronic bronchitis can make your breathing more difficult along with some symptoms including:
- Wheezing
- Slender chest
- Breathing difficulty
- Fatigue
- Persistent coughing with mucus
During the winter season, bronchitis symptoms worsen. So, it’s recommended to see a doctor immediately to get treated.
Treatment
Generally, to treat acute bronchitis, the doctor doesn’t prescribe medication unless symptoms are severe. Instead, some homecare treatment is recommended. Home remedies you can do to relieve your symptoms are:
- Use a humidifier to add moisture to the air which helps you breathe and reduces mucus in the chest and nasal passages.
- Drink ginger tea or hot water. Ginger has natural anti-inflammatory properties which soothe irritation and swollen bronchial passages.
- Consume plenty of fluids, such as water and tea to reduce mucus. This makes it easier to release it through coughing or sneezing through the nose.
- Consume honey to relieve cough. It may not soothe your throat, but it has antiviral and antibacterial qualities.
- Use over-the-counter medications to relieve your sore throat.
Remember that, if an infectious virus causes acute bronchitis, then antibacterial medications won’t help. However, if you’re at risk of pneumonia, then antibacterial medication can help you.
To treat chronic bronchitis, doctors usually prescribe antibiotics or antiviral medication to treat bacterial or viral lung infections. The doctor may also give oxygen treatment or use bronchodilators to relax the muscles surrounding your airways to ease your breathing.
In case you have long-term breathing issues, then joining an exercise regimen, dietary guidance, disease management instruction, and psychological counseling can improve your condition.
In addition to medical treatment, a person needs to make certain lifestyle changes to reduce the effects of chronic bronchitis, including:
- Avoiding smoking.
- Try to avoid air pollution, toxins, and other lung irritants.
- Take care of respiratory problems such as asthma or other illnesses.
To sum up, acute and bronchitis share somewhat similar symptoms and causes. However, the severity of the condition, duration, recurrence, and long-term effects are different.
Acute and chronic bronchitis are two common types of bronchitis. They are caused by similar bacterial and viral infections and lead to similar symptoms. Acute bronchitis gets better in a few weeks without treatment. Whereas chronic bronchitis needs treatment to get better and last longer and has a risk of recurrence. So, if you’re experiencing bronchitis symptoms, you should visit your doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment to prevent severe complications caused by chronic bronchitis.
If you need help with bronchitis or another infectious disease, visit our infectious disease specialists in our Brooklyn clinic for proper diagnosis and treatment. At Doral Health and Wellness Pulmonary Center, we offer the best possible expertise and care in all aspects of pulmonology. Visit our pulmonologists to have your signs and symptoms checked. To schedule an appointment, you can visit us at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11212, or call us at 1-347-384-5690. You can also visit our website at https://pulmonologistbrooklyn.com.
