Bronchitis

Bronchitis is an infection in the airways of the lungs.

Bronchitis symptoms include coughing with or without mucus, chest tightness, and a sore throat.

A cold or flu virus is most often the cause of acute bronchitis. Most often, it goes away on its own, but home remedies and over-the-counter medicines can help ease symptoms.

More rarely, people can get chronic bronchitis, which is much more serious and requires long-term treatment.

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On this page

• What Is Bronchitis?
• What Are the Symptoms of Bronchitis?
• How Do You Diagnose Bronchitis?
• How Do You Treat Bronchitis?

What Is Bronchitis?

Doctors define bronchitis as swelling in the bronchial tubes, which are airways in the lungs.

A common name for acute bronchitis is a chest cold. About 5% of people in the U.S. get this each year.

More rarely, people can get chronic bronchitis, a long-term lung problem faced by about 4% of people in the U.S.

What are the types of bronchitis?

There are two types of bronchitis: acute and chronic.

Acute bronchitis

This is the most common type of bronchitis.

Acute bronchitis symptoms don't last long — about 1 to 3 weeks.

A viral infection is often the cause. It usually resolves within 10 days.

Chronic bronchitis

With chronic bronchitis, damaged airways cause long-term swelling.

There's no cure, and it gets worse over time. But chronic bronchitis treatments and lifestyle changes slow the disease and help people manage symptoms.

Chronic bronchitis mostly occurs in adults older than 60, but it can affect younger people, too.

What causes bronchitis?

About 95% of acute bronchitis cases happen when a cold or flu virus infects the airways in the lung. More rarely, bacteria or breathing in fumes, dust, or smoke may cause acute bronchitis.

With chronic bronchitis, tobacco smoke is what most often causes damage to the bronchial tubes. Other causes include long-term exposure to chemical fumes or dust, or a rare genetic issue.

Is bronchitis contagious?

You can pass on the cold or flu virus that caused your bronchitis.

Whether others get bronchitis from the virus depends on their immune system response and overall health.

What are bronchitis risk factors and complications?

Bronchitis risk factors

You increase your risk of both acute and chronic bronchitis if you:

• Smoke.
• Have exposure to pollutants, fumes, and dust.

Chronic bronchitis risk factors include:

• Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, a rare genetic issue.
• Older age.
• Lung damage from poorly controlled asthma or cystic fibrosis.

Complications of bronchitis

For the most part, acute bronchitis doesn't cause serious health problems. It can progress to pneumonia in rare cases. Pneumonia is an infection in the lung's air sacs, while bronchitis is an infection in the air tubes.

Chronic bronchitis causes other health issues, like:

• Heart problems.
• Collapsed lung.
• Repeat bouts of pneumonia.
• Low oxygen.

How can I reduce my risks of bronchitis?

To reduce your risk of bronchitis:

• Avoid or quit smoking.
• Manage your symptoms with treatments, if you have a lung issue like asthma.
• Get routine vaccines for the flu, which can reduce your risk of viral bronchitis.
• Wear a mask when you're around fumes and dust.

Why choose UPMC for bronchitis care?

UPMC's experts take the time to diagnose the cause of your cough and other breathing symptoms.

For acute bronchitis, we provide advice, reassurance, and treatment if needed.

For chronic bronchitis, we offer treatments to slow the disease, support for lifestyle changes, and close monitoring.

Our lung experts work closely with heart doctors and other experts to make sure you don't have further issues.

Bronchitis Symptoms and Diagnosis

What are the signs and symptoms of bronchitis?

Acute bronchitis symptoms include:

• Cough that tends to produce mucus.
• Shortness of breath.
• Sore throat.
• Soreness or tightness in the chest.
• Wheezing.

You'll likely also have other symptoms of the virus that infected your bronchial tubes and caused bronchitis, like:

• Body aches.
• A headache.
• A runny nose.

Chronic bronchitis symptoms are akin to acute bronchitis only they linger or keep coming back instead of going away.

You should see a doctor if you have:

• Bronchitis symptoms that don't go away after 3 weeks.
• A fever of 100.4 °F and bronchitis symptoms.
• Trouble breathing or chest pain.
• Unexplained weight loss with a cough or you cough up blood.

How do you diagnose bronchitis?

In most cases, doctors will diagnose acute bronchitis based on your symptoms alone.

They may order tests if your symptoms could be from other issues. For instance, your doctor may order an x-ray to look for fluid in the lungs from pneumonia.

If your doctor thinks you may have chronic bronchitis, they'll ask how long you've had symptoms. They'll also order tests, like an x-ray and CT scan, to look for damage in the bronchi.

You may also have a lung function test. During the test, you breathe air in and out of a mouthpiece attached to a machine. The machine measures the amount of air you can breathe in and out.

How Do You Treat Bronchitis?

Acute bronchitis treatments

Most cases of acute bronchitis don't require medicine.

Instead, to help relieve symptoms and support your immune system to flush out the virus, doctors suggest you:

• Drink clear fluids.
• Get rest.
• Soothe a sore throat with throat lozenges or honey.
• Use a humidifier.

Doctors don't advise antibiotics because they're ineffective on viruses — almost always the cause of acute bronchitis.

And bacterial bronchitis is rare. Even when it does occur, your immune system can fight off the bacteria on its own.

Your doctor may also suggest you use an inhaler if you have severe wheezing. This inhaled medicine helps open up your airways.

Chronic bronchitis treatments

Chronic bronchitis requires lifestyle changes, especially quitting smoking.

Lung rehab therapists can help with breathing techniques, such as breathing in longer and slower to increase lung capacity. Exercise can also improve how much oxygen your lungs can take in.

You'll need to take chronic bronchitis medications, too. You take some of these daily and others only when you have severe symptoms.

Treatments include:

• Bronchitis medications to open up your bronchial tubes.
• Steroids to reduce inflammation.
• Supplemental oxygen (concentrated oxygen you breathe in through a machine).

You'll need routine check-ups. How often depends on how severe the disease is.

Your doctor will check your lung function, blood oxygen levels, and weight.

By UPMC Editorial Staff. Last reviewed on 2024-04-24 by Susan Marchezak, CRNP.