In this day in age, people get sick. With advancements in both medicine and technology, however, many illnesses are treatable that weren’t before. One of the most common, but harmful illnesses are Acute Bronchitis cases, where the affected person could be sick for up to several weeks.
Acute Bronchitis Explained
Bronchitis is an inflammation of the Bronchi, medium air passages located within the lungs, that causes extreme coughs and wheezing. The sickness is acquired in two methods, either bacterial or viral, however most are viral cases. Bronchitis leaves people with severe coughs, shortness of breath, wheezing, and sometimes fatigue and acute chest pains.
Common Symptoms
Typical signs or Bronchitis are the listed effects, along with the coughing lasting for more than a couple of days. Treating Bronchitis really depends on how severe the case is, as different options are available towards the severity. For mild cases, the condition can be treated by both rest and fluid intake, along with quitting of smoking if the person smokes. If the case happens to be bacterial, falling in the range of 5-10% of Bronchitis cases, careful examination of the sickness may yield antibiotics administration. If the case is viral, as most of them are, it is usually self-limiting, meaning the sickness can be countered without the need of outside influences. If the condition lasts more than a couple of weeks, a doctor should be inquired, as it may be more harmful conditions like Tuberculosis or Lung Cancer, common symptoms of both are long dry coughs and blood upheaval. A vaccine was produced around four years ago, its creator being Robert Clancy from Newcastle University.
Is Bronchitis Contagious?
When dealing with someone who has bronchitis, use absolute care, as Bronchitis is very contagious, spreading in methods just like the flu. Air that’s breathed from someone who has Bronchitis, along with touching of items that are owned by them, are the most common ways Bronchitis is spread. Constant washing and hygiene upkeep is highly recommended to keep Bronchitis at bay. However, not all Bronchitis cases are transmittable, if the Bronchitis is in the minority coming from Bacterial infections, then the infection is not contagious, however in any case caution should be advised.