You can breathe in those germs or pick them up by touching a contaminated surface. Like bronchitis, pneumonia can be spread through droplets of fluid launched into the air when someone coughs or sneezes. Rapid breathing or shortness of breath.Īdditional complications could include fluid buildup in the lungs bacteria entering your bloodstream or a lung abscess, which is a pus-filled cavity in the lungs.A high fever - up to 105 degrees Fahrenheit (40 C).The swelling and resulting mucus mean oxygen and carbon dioxide can’t move as easily from the lungs to the bloodstream.Ī wide variety of bacteria, viruses and fungi can cause pneumonia. Instead, it inflames the tiny sacs (alveoli) in part of your lungs, says Dr. Pneumonia is a different kind of infection that doesn’t affect the airways. One study estimated that 40% of smokers will develop chronic bronchitis during their lifetime. The best thing that you can do to help ward off bronchitis, though? Quit smoking, advises Dr. (It is classified as a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD.) A variety of medications, therapies or even surgery might be recommended. Antibiotics may be prescribed if you have a bacterial infection.Ĭhronic bronchitis, meanwhile, is not curable. Over-the-counter medications might be used to help break up mucus or fight a fever or aches. The short-term variety of bronchitis is typically a wait-it-out illness. Chronic bronchitis is less likely to be passed along. It can be picked up through droplets in the air or by touching contaminated surfaces. Acute bronchitis typically lasts 10 to 14 days, with some symptoms lingering for three weeks.Īcute bronchitis can be contagious and spread by all of that coughing. Smoking can help launch the illness and make it worse. It can be brought on by an initial respiratory infection, exposure to tobacco smoke or other irritating things in the air around you.Īcute bronchitis often starts with a viral infection such as a cold. Tolle.Ĭhronic bronchitis lasts for at least three months and recurs in multiple years. There are two basic types of bronchitis - chronic and acute (short-term), explains Dr. Body aches (plus a sore chest from all that coughing).(That off-putting color is a key sign of infection.)Īside from coughing, other symptoms of bronchitis may include: That frequent hacking often brings up that yellow-green mucus from your lungs. In response, you cough… and cough… and cough. As these airways (called bronchioles) swell, they begin to fill with icky-and-sticky mucus. You know what a cold feels like, right? Well, bronchitis is that kicked up a few notches.īronchitis occurs when air-carrying tubes in your lungs become inflamed, often after a viral infection such as a cold or the flu, says Dr. To understand each of them better, let’s take a look at the causes, symptoms and treatment with pulmonologist Leslie Tolle, MD. The illnesses share many similarities, yet they’re very different. Upper airway infections like a cold leave your lower airways more vulnerable to viruses and bacteria, and that’s when bronchitis or pneumonia can strike. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center.
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