Bronchitis is a viral disease characterized by prolonged, excessive coughing. Acute bronchitis is a one-time condition that lasts for several weeks, while chronic bronchitis is an ongoing condition that lasts at least several months or longer.
Symptoms include coughing up mucus, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest discomfort. Bronchitis is divided into two types: acute and chronic.
There are two ways to treat bronchitis.
You can treat it at home or you can visit the doctor.
Bronchitis Treatment
You should be able to recover from acute bronchitis within a couple of weeks with complete healing of the airways and return to full function. You need to control symptoms. Antibiotics are not effective because acute bronchitis are caused by viruses. They should only be used if bacterial infection is strongly suspected or confirmed by testing.
Bronchitis treatment involves:
– You shoud rest and fluid intake
– Use of medications to relieve muscle aches and pains and headaches, and to reduce fever
– Use of cough suppressants for a dry cough, but not for a productive cough
– Use of expectorants for productive cough, to help clear the airways of mucus
– You shoud stop smoking and avoidance of other airborne irritants
Going to Doctor
If your bronchitis symptoms last for more than one week without any sign of improvement, make an appointment with your doctor. Additionally, if your symptoms are getting worse,you should consult your doctor.
Discuss antibiotics with your doctor.
A doctor may prescribe an antibiotic if he or she suspects that an infection is setting in. Even so, there is no concrete evidence that antibiotics are helpful in the resolution of acute bronchitis.
Remedies for Bronchitis treatment
The best cough remedies for bronchitis contain guaifenesin, which helps bring up sputum. But if can’t bear another minute of hacking, especially if it’s been keeping you from getting the sleep you need to recover, you can try a medicine that contains the cough suppressant dextromethorphan. Take it only as often as necessary.
