The respiratory tubes located in the respiratory tract are called bronchi. As a result of virus or bacteria settling, inflammation occurs in the inner membranes of the bronchi. The disease that occurs as a result of inflammation of the bronchi is called bronchitis. Due to bronchitis, phlegm and mucosa production increases in the bronchi and coughing begins. The rate of contracting bronchitis increases during winter months. Bronchitis is divided into two types, acute and chronic, and they are distinguished from each other according to their formation and development time.

What is acute bronchitis?

Acute, in medical literature, means sudden onset and rapid progression. Acute bronchitis can usually occur following upper respiratory tract diseases and illnesses such as common cold and flu. Even if diseases like common cold and flu pass, viruses and bacteria may have settled in the upper respiratory tract. Later, viruses and bacteria cause the bronchi to become inflamed and swollen. Increased phlegm is seen in inflamed bronchi. The phlegm that the patient expels with coughing is often colorless, but the color of the phlegm can also be yellow, greenish, or bloody.

What are the causes of acute bronchitis?

Acute bronchitis, which is a contagious disease, spreads to the environment through coughing. In addition to environmental factors such as air pollution, extremely cold or extremely humid air, and living environment, physical factors such as smoking and breathing through the mouth also cause acute bronchitis. Not treating acute bronchitis or inadequate treatment can cause the disease to turn into chronic bronchitis. Therefore, it is necessary not to take the disease lightly and consult a doctor.

What are the symptoms of acute bronchitis?

• Severe cough,
• Fever,
• Fatigue,
• Wheezing,
• Phlegm

What is chronic bronchitis?

Chronic means persistent in medical terms. Chronic bronchitis bothers the person less compared to acute bronchitis and therefore the disease progresses unnoticed. While smoking is the primary cause of chronic bronchitis, environmental and physical factors that are also present in acute bronchitis play an active role. Another feature that distinguishes chronic bronchitis from acute bronchitis is that it is not contagious. Not treating chronic bronchitis in time can be vital for the patient.

What are the symptoms of chronic bronchitis?
In chronic bronchitis, as in acute bronchitis,

• cough,
• fever,
• phlegm,
• wheezing

symptoms are observed. The most important difference that distinguishes the two from each other is that severe cough along with phlegm lasts for at least 3 months.

When should you see a doctor?
You should see a doctor if you have the following symptoms.

• Cough that has been continuing for about 3 weeks
• If your cough is disrupting or preventing your sleep
• If you have a mild fever that continues for 4-5 days
• If your fever is 38 degrees or higher
• If you have shortness of breath
• If you are wheezing
• If you have heavy phlegm complaints
• If the phlegm is rust-colored
• If increasing amounts of green phlegm are seen
• If there is blood in your phlegm

How is bronchitis treated?
Bronchitis can vary according to the patient’s condition. The main goal in bronchitis is to alleviate the patient’s complaints. In this direction, antibiotics, painkillers and fever reducers may be recommended to the patient. In chronic bronchitis, the patient needs to change their lifestyle. They should quit smoking, avoid dusty environments and protect themselves from air pollution. Consuming plenty of water is of great importance in both types of bronchitis because the water consumed helps the phlegm accumulated in the bronchi to dissolve more easily and be expelled from the body.

Home treatment for bronchitis
In bronchitis with severe cough, the air in the environment should be dry. For this reason, you can get help from a humidifier in your home. If you don’t have a humidifier, you can obtain steam by boiling water in a pot. During the winter months when bronchitis is widespread, bowls of water that you place on radiators will support you in humidifying the air. You can consume orange juice and drink an average of 10 glasses of water daily to clean the inflammation in your throat. During the period when you have bronchitis, if you are using them, stay away from scented candles and room sprays in your home for a while. Take care to keep your hands sterile by washing them frequently.

What are the risk factors?
As with every disease, there are certain factors that trigger bronchitis. Smoking comes first among these, followed by low resistance, chemical living environment and reflux. It has been determined that people who are active smokers or passive smokers have a higher probability of contracting acute or chronic bronchitis disease compared to people who do not smoke and are not even in smoking environments. The development of chronic conditions or diseases that people have experienced makes bronchitis formation easier. Since body resistance is lower in elderly people and children compared to adults, the rate of contracting bronchitis disease is higher. People who frequently encounter substances that irritate the respiratory tract such as chemical gases, smoke, and textile particles are also in the risk group. In reflux, seizures caused by stomach burns irritate the throat and the irritated throat becomes suitable for viruses and bacteria that cause bronchitis to settle.

How dangerous is bronchitis?
Not every bronchitis attack should cause concern. However, advanced, inadequately and insufficiently treated bronchitis can turn into pneumonia. If your bronchitis is recurring, you should consult a doctor to investigate the underlying cause. In your complaints, the presence and diagnosis of chronic bronchitis, asthma, bronchiectasis, tuberculosis, sinusitis and cystic fibrosis infections should be established.