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Understanding acute bronchitis

By Anthony Nwaoney
13 September 2018   |   4:00 am
Acute bronchitis is inflammation of your bronchial tree. The bronchial tree consists of tubes that carry air into your lungs. When these tubes get infected, they swell and mucus

What Is Acute Bronchitis?
Acute bronchitis is inflammation of your bronchial tree. The bronchial tree consists of tubes that carry air into your lungs. When these tubes get infected, they swell and mucus (thick fluid) forms inside them. This makes it hard for you to breathe.

Acute bronchitis only lasts a short time (several weeks or less). Chronic bronchitis is long lasting and can reoccur. It usually is caused by constant irritation, such as from smoking.

Symptoms of acute bronchitis
The symptoms of acute bronchitis can include:
Sore throat, fever, cough that brings up clear, yellow, or green mucus, chest congestion, shortness of breath, wheezing, chills and body aches.

Your cough can last for several weeks or months. This happens because the bronchial tree takes a while to heal. A lasting cough may signal another problem, such as asthma or pneumonia.

What causes acute bronchitis?
Viruses most often cause acute bronchitis. They attack the lining of the bronchial tree and cause inflammation. The same viruses that cause colds can cause acute bronchitis. You can catch a virus from breathing it in or skin contact. As your body fights these viruses, swelling occurs and mucus is produced. It takes time for your body to kill the viruses and heal damage to your bronchial tubes.

Lesser-known causes are bacteria or fungal infections. Exposure to irritants, such as smoke, dust, or fumes, also can cause acute bronchitis. You are at greater risk if your bronchial tree already has damage. If you have GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), also known as heartburn, you can get acute bronchitis when stomach acid gets into the bronchial tree
• Dr Anthony Nwaoney is a Consultant Epidemiologist

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