Acute bronchitis is one of the most common respiratory illnesses. It is a condition where the bronchial tubes, the passages that transport air from the trachea to the lungs, become infected and inflamed. It differs from chronic bronchitis, which may last months or years and is due to a permanent respiratory disease like COPD or cystic fibrosis. The acute version normally lasts two to three weeks, though in rare cases, it may extend up to three months. Ninety-percent of cases are caused by a viral infection. This means antibiotic treatment is not effective against it.
The main aim of treatment is to manage the symptoms and prevent the condition from worsening. There are an estimated 14.2 million cases of it diagnosed every year in the United States. The economic impact of the sickness is considerable with $3.5 billion spent on hospitalizations for bronchitis. While most cases do not respond to antibiotics, there are still several important steps a person can take to prevent or reduce the severity of a case of bronchitis. This is why it’s important to be aware of the eight signs common to bronchitis. This will help a person quickly recognize the onset of it and prevent the sickness from becoming serious.
1. Dry Cough
The main symptom of bronchitis is a dry cough which usually occurs with the onset of the sickness. When the cough persists for five days or longer, it is a clear sign of the sickness and warrants a visit with the doctor. A cough is the body’s defense mechanism to expel a foreign substance from its airways. Thus, a persistent cough is the body’s normal response to rid itself of the infection in the bronchial tubes. Bronchitis usually results from an upper respiratory infection that moves to the lower respiratory system. The lining of the bronchial tubes becomes irritated and inflamed due to infection, which then causes a person to cough. The coughing can also worsen the condition of the infected bronchial tubes. Dr. Benjamin Wedro writes, “Cough is a very violent action that results in dynamic collapse of the airways.
This collapse results in the walls of the airways banging against one another. This action of cough can cause further inflammation and help perpetuate the problem by sustaining and increasing inflammation.” Dr. Sanjay Sethi, medical professor at the University at Buffalo explains why the cough remains even after a person begins to get better. “Cough is the last symptom to subside and often takes 2 to 3 weeks or even longer to do so. Viruses can damage the epithelial cells lining the bronchi, and the body needs time to repair the damage. Even after the other symptoms of bronchitis subside, the cough can linger on. This is due to the damage done by the virus to the airways,” he writes.
2. Cough with Phlegm
As the illness progresses, it will produce congestion in the bronchial tubes. This comes from inflammation of the airways which then causes increased mucus and the resulting congestion. This is the body’s defense against the infection. The cough that began dry will develop into a “productive.” This is the medical term for a cough with phlegm. Some people mistakenly believe that the color of the phlegm indicates the nature of the infection. This is not scientifically accurate. The phlegm may be white, yellow, or even tinged with blood. These can all be experienced during the sickness. While a person may be concerned with the phlegm being coughed up, this is really a good sign.
The body is trying to expel the infection, and a productive cough means the body is successfully fighting the illness. For this reason, doctors do not often recommend a cough suppressant. A doctor’s exam may help a patient with severe coughing that interrupts sleep. Generally, a physician will strive to make the cough productive instead of fighting it. To accomplish this, the doctor may prescribe a cough expectorant. Another medical recommendation will be that a person should drink plenty of liquids to stay well hydrated so that the phlegm secretions are thinned and more easily expelled.
3. Whole Body Fatigue
The inflammation of the bronchial tubes can lead to hypoxia, a condition of low oxygen in the tissues of the body. This interference with the body’s oxygen level may cause whole body fatigue, another symptom of bronchitis. There are also other possible causes for weakness. A person’s sleep is often interrupted by the coughing common to the illness, which can lead to extreme tiredness. Finally, weakness is often a symptom associated with fighting off a virus. Researchers have discovered that a viral infection interferes with a cell’s mitochondria, the energy-producing factories of the cells in the body. The mitochondria provides energy for muscle contractions, nerve impulses and more. Thus, a person often experiences general weakness and fatigue with the sickness, which is most often caused by a virus. A physician may prescribe an anti-inflammatory medicine to open up the airways.
4. Runny Nose
A runny nose, the main symptom of the common cold, is also a common symptom that comes with bronchitis. This is because the common cold is often the original cause of the infection of the bronchial tubes. A person first develops an upper respiratory infection (a cold) which then migrates to the lower respiratory system and produces the sickness. This spread can happen as soon as three to four days after the initial upper respiratory infection. The connection between a cold and bronchitis can even be seen in the old name for the illness from a generation ago. Bronchitis was then called a “chest cold.”
5. Chest Tightness
Chest tightness also is a symptom of bronchitis. Patients describe this chest tightness in many different ways. Some compare it to a band tightening around the chest. Others explain it as a pressure on the chest. However, a patient describes it, the causes of the tightness come from the body’s reaction to the bronchial infection. As the airways become infected and then inflamed, the air flow is restricted, which results in the sensation of tightness in the chest. The congestion of increased mucous in the bronchial tubes also contributes to this uncomfortable feeling. Physicians sometimes recommend the use of a cool-midst humidifier to moisten the air breathed by a patient which will loosen the mucous. A steroid may even be prescribed to reduce the inflammation of the airway.
6. Headache
Another symptom of bronchitis is a headache. A person may experience this during the sickness for several reasons. It may be due to the reduced amount of oxygen in the blood stream because of inflamed bronchial tubes. Another possible cause is the persistent coughing that comes with bronchitis. Physicians call this a “cough headache.” The Mayo Clinic states, “Cough headaches are an unusual type of headache triggered by coughing and other types of straining — such as from sneezing, blowing your nose, laughing, crying, singing, bending over or having a bowel movement.” Throbbing in the head can also accompany bronchitis due to the nasal congestion produced by the sickness. This can create pressure in the sinuses resulting in a dull ache behind the eyes.
7. Shortness of Breath
Shortness of breath is also a sign of bronchitis. This occurs because the infection leads to inflammation of the windpipe (trachea) and the bronchial tubes which carry air from the windpipe into the lungs. This inflammation causes the airway to become narrower, restricting air flow. The body responds to this with increased mucous in the bronchi which further impedes air exchange. All these factors combine to produce shortness of breath. The shortness of breath will gradually worsen if the sickness develops into a severe case. The shortness of breath may also be more pronounced when a person exerts himself/herself in physical activity. Sometimes a physician may prescribe an inhaler or nebulizer with Albuterol to dilate the airways and improve the patient’s breathing.
8. Sore Throat
It is also possible to suffer from a mild sore throat with bronchitis. This may be the symptom that causes a person to visit the doctor’s office when the sickness is developing. Thirteen million visits to the doctor are made each year due to sore throats. Pharyngitis is the medical term for a sore throat, and it refers to an infection in the soft tissues of the throat behind the mouth. The painful, scratchy throat may be a result the upper respiratory infection that often causes bronchitis. The drainage of the increased mucous in the sinus passages can irritate the throat creating soreness. The throat discomfort may also be caused by swollen lymph nodes in the neck, a natural immune response to an invading virus.
Though a very common illness, bronchitis can be a serious sickness as it causes nearly 400 deaths each year in the United States. For this reason, it is important that a person recognizes the signs and symptoms of the illness and seeks medical attention if necessary.
