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Acute Bronchitis
URL of this page: https://medlineplus.gov/acutebronchitis.html

Acute Bronchitis

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  • Treatments and Therapies

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Summary

Bronchitis is an inflammation of the bronchial tubes, the airways that carry air to your lungs. It causes a cough that often brings up mucus. It can also cause shortness of breath, wheezing, a low fever, and chest tightness. There are two main types of bronchitis: acute and chronic.

Most cases of acute bronchitis get better within several days. But your cough can last for several weeks after the infection is gone.

The same viruses that cause colds and the flu often cause acute bronchitis. These viruses spread through the air when people cough, or though physical contact (for example, on unwashed hands). Being exposed to tobacco smoke, air pollution, dusts, vapors, and fumes can also cause acute bronchitis. Less often, bacteria can also cause acute bronchitis.

To diagnose acute bronchitis, your health care provider will ask about your symptoms and listen to your breathing. You may also have other tests.

Treatments include rest, fluids, and aspirin (for adults) or acetaminophen to treat fever. A humidifier or steam can also help. You may need inhaled medicine to open your airways if you are wheezing. Antibiotics won't help if the cause is viral. You may get antibiotics if the cause is bacterial.

NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Start Here

  • Acute Bronchitis (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
  • Acute Bronchitis (American Lung Association)
  • Bronchitis From the National Institutes of Health (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish
  • Chest Cold (Acute Bronchitis) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

  • Blood Oxygen Level From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
  • Tests for Lung Disease From the National Institutes of Health (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

Prevention and Risk Factors

  • Is Acute Bronchitis Contagious? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

  • Bronchitis Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment (American Lung Association)

Related Issues

  • Cough Culprits: What's the Difference Between Bronchitis and Pneumonia? From the National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Bronchiolitis From the National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Health)
  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Bronchitis From the National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

  • Article: Human Wharton's Jelly Mesenchymal Stem Cells Secretome Inhibits Human SARS-CoV-2 and...
  • Article: Efficacy and safety of Tanreqing oral liquid in treatment of acute...
  • Article: Eosinophil Progenitors in Patients With Non-Asthmatic Eosinophilic Bronchitis, Eosinophilic Asthma, and...
  • Acute Bronchitis -- see more articles

Reference Desk

  • Bronchi, Bronchial Tree, & Lungs From the National Institutes of Health (National Cancer Institute)
  • How the Lungs Work From the National Institutes of Health (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish

Find an Expert

  • American Lung Association
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute From the National Institutes of Health

Children

  • Bronchitis (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
  • Plastic Bronchitis (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

  • Bronchitis - acute (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Postural drainage (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Routine sputum culture (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

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Acute Bronchitis

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What's this?

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

  • Blood gases
  • Bronchiolitis
  • Bronchitis - acute
  • Chest x-ray
  • Industrial bronchitis
  • Oxygen safety
  • Postural drainage
  • Routine sputum culture

Related Health Topics

  • Common Cold
  • Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections

National Institutes of Health

The primary NIH organization for research on Acute Bronchitis is the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Other Languages

Find health information in languages other than English on Acute Bronchitis

Disclaimers

MedlinePlus links to health information from the National Institutes of Health and other federal government agencies. MedlinePlus also links to health information from non-government Web sites. See our disclaimer about external links and our quality guidelines.

The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.

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