A chest cold or short-term
inflammation of the bronchi in the lungs is known as acute bronchitis. A cough is the most common symptom
of acute bronchitis. There are also other symptoms that involve coughing up
mucus, shortness of breath, fever, chest discomfort, and wheezing. The infection may extend from a week to ten
days.
After a few days of having an upper
respiratory tract infection such as a cold or the flu, often a person develops
acute bronchitis. Sometimes the infection is caused by bacteria. Acute
bronchitis also can be caused by smoke inhalation, irritating the bronchial
tubes.
Treatments for bronchitis
Certain measures used for
conventional treatment of acute bronchitis
may consist of plenty of fluids, avoiding smoke or fumes, getting plenty of
rest, and potentially receiving a prescription for a defibrillator or cough
syrup.
Antibiotics are usually unnecessary
in people who have healthy lungs and no chronic health problems
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In most of the cases, the root cause is a virus
and administering an antibiotic will not help.
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A phlegm-producing or productive cough may
escalate due to acute bronchitis. This
is your body's homeostasis creating balance by expelling excess mucus.
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Your doctor might prescribe a cough suppressant
to ease your discomfort.
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Drink lots of liquids and take aspirin or
acetaminophen for irritations.
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There is an increased risk of Reye’s syndrome so
it is contraindicated to give aspirin to a child
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Because of the clinical improbability
differentiating acute bronchitis from pneumonia,
the use of serologic markers are used to guide antibiotic usage, and has been
proven clinically.
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Unsuitable prescriptions that compromise patient
satisfaction or clinical outcomes can be reduced by office-based, point-of-care
testing for C-reactive protein levels.
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Expectorants and inhaler medications are not
suggested for repetitive use in patients with bronchitis, even though they are
commonly used and recommended by physicians or doctors.
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In the
treatment of acute bronchitis expectorants are said to be ineffectual.
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Routine use of beta-agonist inhalers in patients
with acute bronchitis is not recommended. Results of a Cochrane review do not
support using those.
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High-dose, episodic inhaled corticosteroids has
a positive effect, however no benefit occurred with low-dose, preventive
therapy.
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The use of oral corticosteroids in patients with
acute bronchitis has no evidence to support it.
Smoking represents a unique risk
factor and is very dangerous if
continued during the acute bronchitis attack. Studies show that people who’ve
quit when in advanced stages of chronic
bronchitis and COPD,
can lessen the harshness of their symptoms and also increase life expectancy.
Acute bronchitis is more or less
like a normal flu or cold. Natural remedies are the best treatment as the body
will recover quickly and discomfort will vanish if plenty of fluids are taken. Treatments of Bronchitis are varied, some of
which require a doctor’s prescription. Others, you can practice in your home to
ensure healthy living habits.
