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Acute bronchitis is a common lower respiratory tract infection in children and adults. It is caused in the vast majority of cases by viruses such as influenza, parainfluenza, RSV, and bacterial etiology occurs in less than 10% of cases. The bacteria responsible for the development of acute bronchitis are primarily atypical bacteria and pertussis.
Symptoms of acute bronchitis include:
– fever
– a cough lasting less than three weeks
– expectoration of mucous (clear, sticky) or purulent (yellow or greenish) discharge
– muscle aches
– you may experience wheezing caused by a temporary narrowing of the bronchial tubes
To diagnose acute bronchitis, your doctor must rule out a more serious lower respiratory infection, i.e. pneumonia.
Bronchitis can also be a chronic process, mainly in heavy tobacco smokers, but also in people who are exposed, for example due to their work, to prolonged contact with air pollutants. Irritants inhaled regularly cause inflammation of the bronchial mucosa and increased production of mucus, which becomes a great breeding ground for microorganisms, hence frequent bronchial infections.
Symptoms of chronic bronchitis include:
– a cough that lasts most days of the three months of the year, two consecutive years
– the cough is productive, that is, it is associated with the coughing up of mucus
– cough occurs mainly in the morning after waking up
– emerging features of bronchial obstruction in a spirometric test
Chronic bronchitis is one of the causes that lead to the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
See also: Treatment of bronchitis
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