Acute Bronchitis: Can You Prevent It?

Respiratory illnesses, unfortunately, are very common nowadays. From asthma to other forms of respiratory illnesses, there are millions of people suffering.

Your respiratory system is one of the most vital systems in your body. Think about this: you can survive for quite a long time without food; you can survive without water for a little while, but you can only survive a few minutes at most without air.

Bronchitis is a respiratory illness that affects the bronchial tree -where the bronchi of the lungs become inflamed. Tobacco smokers and people living in areas where there is a high level of air pollution are mainly affected by this disease. Actually there are two kinds of bronchitis: acute bronchitis, which can last for only 10 to 12 days and chronic bronchitis which can last up to three months to two years.

In acute bronchitis it is possible to prevent this particular respiratory illness from affecting you. Acute bronchitis is mainly caused by virus and bacterial infections. However, there are some rare cases where bronchitis can be caused by fungus. The person suffering from acute bronchitis may experience persistent coughing with mucus, feeling of fatigue, shortness of breath, mild chest pains, mild fever, vibration inside the chest when breathing, and they may also experience a feeling of coldness.

The virus that causes bronchitis can be the same virus that causes the common cold. In acute bronchitis that is caused by virus infection, no special medications are usually needed. All you need is plenty of rest, and drink a lot of non-caffeinated and non-alcoholic beverages.

However, if acute bronchitis is caused by bacterial infection your doctor will prescribe antibiotic medications. If you can arrange it, increased humidity is beneficial. You can use simple room humidifiers to achieve this, or use the old standby of a saucer of water near a radiator.

Usually acute bronchitis lasts only about 10 to 12 days. However, it may be closely followed or associated with flu or cold. Sometimes, coughing will continue during the healing process of the bronchi in your lungs. If the coughing lasts longer than a few weeks, it is recommended that you should consult your physician immediately as conditions other than bronchitis may be the underlying cause.

Some people say that prevention is better than cure. This is very true, of course, but it's not always that easy.  If you are a smoker, quit smoking in order to prevent bronchitis from happening. It is also recommended that if you are living in an area where there are high levels of air pollution, you should try and install air conditioners and filters inside your home in order for you to breathe clean air. Using a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter is also beneficial, as it cleans the air of micro particulates in the room.

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