What is it?
Bronchitis is the inflammation of the larger airways in your lungs, causing an ongoing cough. Acute bronchitis can last for weeks.
What are the symptoms?
- The main symptom of bronchitis is a hacking cough. It is likely that your cough will bring up thick yellow-grey mucus (phlegm), although this does not always happen.
Other symptoms of bronchitis are similar to those of other infections, such as the common cold or sinusitis, and may include:
Sore throat.
Headache.
Runny or blocked nose.
Aches and pains.
Tiredness.
If you have bronchitis, your cough may last for several weeks after other symptoms have gone. You may also find that the continual coughing makes your chest and stomach muscles sore. Some people may experience shortness of breath or wheezing, due to inflamed airways. However, this is more common with long-term (chronic) bronchitis.
What to expect?
Things you can try at home include:
- Take plenty of rest.
- Drink a lot of fluids.
- Painkillers such as paracetamol may relieve pain and fever.
- Smoking can increase the severity of symptoms and should be avoided.