What is the most common cause of bronchitis?

What is the most common cause of bronchitis?

The most important cause of chronic bronchitis is cigarette smoking. Air pollution and your work environment may also play a role. This condition causes a cough that’s often called smoker’s cough. It also causes you to cough up mucus, wheeze, and have chest discomfort.

How long does bronchitis last?

Although there are several different types of bronchitis, the most common are acute and chronic. Acute bronchitis may also be called a chest cold. Most symptoms of acute bronchitis last for up to 2 weeks. The cough can last for up to 8 weeks in some people.

How did you get bronchitis?

Acute bronchitis can result from : a virus, for example, a cold or flu virus. a bacterial infection. exposure to substances that irritate the lungs, such as tobacco smoke, dust, fumes, vapors, and air pollution.

What viruses cause bronchitis?

Viruses cause 85% to 95% of cases of acute bronchitis in healthy adults. The most common viruses are rhinovirus, adenovirus, influenza A and B, and parainfluenza virus; bacteria are usually commensals.

How can bronchitis be prevented?

Prevention

1. Don’t smoke.
2. Insist that others do not smoke in your home.
3. Stay away from or try to reduce your time around things that irritate your airway (nose, throat, and lungs).
4. If you catch a cold, get plenty of rest.
5. Take your medicine exactly the way your doctor tells you.
6. Eat a healthy diet.
7. Wash your hands often.

How long does bronchitis take to go away?

Most people get over an acute bout of bronchitis in two to three weeks, although the cough can sometimes hang on for four weeks or more. If you’re in otherwise good health, your lungs will return to normal after you’ve recovered from the initial infection.

What complications may occur if bronchitis goes untreated?

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) This disease can cause a continuous obstruction to the airways of the lungs and damage to the bronchial tubes.

Will bronchitis heal itself?

In most cases, bronchitis will clear up by itself within a few weeks without the need for treatment. This type of bronchitis is known as “acute bronchitis”. While you are waiting for it to pass, you should drink lots of fluid and get plenty of rest. In some cases, the symptoms of bronchitis can last much longer.