What is Bronchits?

Bronchitis is an inflammation in the lungs that some people call a chest cold. It can be a miserable, but minor, illness that follows a viral illness like the common cold -- or may follow a more serious condition like a chronic smoker's hack. Bronchitis can also be caused by exposure to smoke, chemical irritants, or bacteria. A cough, phlegm, and feeling tired are typical symptoms of bronchitis, but these are also symptoms of other illnesses, so getting the right diagnosis and treatment is important.

Bronchitis Symptoms

Symptoms of both acute and chronic bronchitis include breathing problems, such as:

• Chest congestion, when your chest feels full or clogged
• A cough that may bring up mucus that’s clear, white, yellow, or green
• Shortness of breath
• Wheezing or a whistling sound when you breathe

Symptoms of acute bronchitis also may include:

• Body aches and chills
• Feeling “wiped out”
• Low fever
• Runny, stuffy nose
• Sore throat

Even after the other symptoms of acute bronchitis are gone, the cough can last a few weeks while your bronchial tubes heal and the swelling goes down. If it goes on much longer than that, the problem might be something else.

Causes of Bronchitis

Most often, the same viruses that give you a cold or the flu cause acute bronchitis. But sometimes, bacteria bring it on.

In both cases, as your body fights the germs, your bronchial tubes swell and make more mucus. That means you have smaller openings for air to flow through, which can make it harder to breathe.

Chronic bronchitis causes include:

• Breathing in air pollution and other things that bother your lungs, like chemical fumes or dust, over time
• Smoking or breathing in secondhand smoke for a long time

Bronchitic Treatment:

1. Eliminate the Allergy raction.

2. Treat the virus infections.

3. Use a humidifier or steam to loose the mucus. A hot shower can be great for loosening mucus.