Urgent Care for Bronchitis Treatment Q&A

Bronchitis is an inflammation that occurs in the lining of the bronchial tubes, which are responsible for carrying air in and out of your lungs. Bronchitis can be chronic or acute, depending on the root cause of the inflammation. One of the easily identifiable symptoms of bronchitis is a cough that brings up thickened mucus that may be discolored. Acute bronchitis is quite common, with the illness developing as the result of a cold or some other kind of respiratory infection. It can also be referred to as a chest cold, with recovery taking up to ten days. While acute bronchitis doesn’t have lasting effects, sufferers may find that they have a cough that lingers for several weeks after recovery from the worst of the symptoms. Chronic bronchitis on the other hand is a more serious condition that can often be caused by smoking. In the case of chronic bronchitis, the individual suffers from constant inflammation or irritation of the bronchial tube lining. Repeated cases of acute bronchitis can also be a sign of chronic bronchitis, which can be serious and requires medical attention. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) consists of many different conditions, including chronic bronchitis, so it is important to get checked out to understand the extent of your illness.

Recovery from bronchitis will depend on if it is an acute case or a chronic condition. As acute bronchitis typically develops following a cold or the flu, it can be difficult to distinguish when your diagnosis changes from one illness to the next, especially as the symptoms are so similar. Bronchitis in the acute form will clear up, usually by itself, within a week or two but the cough can often linger on for up to several weeks after the rest of the symptoms have dissipated. Like all illnesses and injuries, our bodies are all unique and each person’s recovery time will vary. Your overall health, and particularly the health of your lungs, will factor into how quick or slow your recovery will be. Chronic bronchitis can be a serious medical condition that requires ongoing medical treatment as it increases your risk for bacterial infections in the lungs. It is also a form of chronic obtrusive pulmonary disease (COPD) which is a lung disease that causes breathing difficulties.

Bronchitis comes in two forms, acute and chronic. Acute bronchitis is a fairly common illness that follows a cold or flu and often doesn’t require medication to treat it. Like most colds and flu, the body will run its course with the illness on its own. Most symptoms will fade away within a week or so, with the cough sometimes lingering on for several weeks after the illness has run its course. Chronic bronchitis can be serious and requires medical attention. It increases the risk of developing bacterial infections in the lungs that do require medication to clear up. Chronic bronchitis is also one of the conditions that are part of a chronic obtrusive pulmonary disease (COPD) diagnosis, so it is important to get checked out by a doctor for an accurate diagnosis and proper treatment. Repeated bouts of acute bronchitis can turn out to be a case of chronic bronchitis that hasn’t yet been diagnosed.

Acute and chronic bronchitis have different triggers. Acute bronchitis is often the result of a previous illness that works its way into your lungs. A cold or the flu can spread into the lungs and chest causing acute bronchitis, which is also referred to as a chest cold. This type of bronchitis doesn’t often need treatment as similar to a cold or flu, the body will cure itself of the illness within a week or so, although the cough may hang on for several weeks after all other symptoms have cleared up. Chronic bronchitis is triggered by smoking, exposure to secondhand smoke or exposure to other irritants such as pollution or harmful chemicals. In this case, the individual will require medical attention as the presence of chronic bronchitis increases the risk of a bacterial infection in the lungs and is also a condition often linked to chronic obstructive cardiopulmonary disease (COPD).

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