Can acute bronchitis recur?

Written by Wang Chun Mei
Pulmonology
Updated on June 02, 2025
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Acute bronchitis is a very common inflammatory disease of the respiratory system, typically quite severe, mainly due to the body's low immune function, exposure to cold, rain, or infection by certain viruses or bacteria. Symptoms in patients include fever, cough, sputum production, shortness of breath, and chest tightness.

Usually, acute bronchitis can be completely cured within about one to two weeks with timely and effective anti-infective treatment, cough suppression, expectorants, and asthma relief. Once effectively and completely cured, acute bronchitis is not prone to recurrence.

The so-called recurrence may occur if the patient's acute bronchitis was not 100% fully cured, or if medication was stopped too soon, leading to the re-emergence of clinical symptoms such as cough and sputum production shortly after treatment.

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Written by Wang Chun Mei
Pulmonology
1min 3sec home-news-image

Can acute bronchitis recur?

Acute bronchitis is a very common inflammatory disease of the respiratory system, typically quite severe, mainly due to the body's low immune function, exposure to cold, rain, or infection by certain viruses or bacteria. Symptoms in patients include fever, cough, sputum production, shortness of breath, and chest tightness. Usually, acute bronchitis can be completely cured within about one to two weeks with timely and effective anti-infective treatment, cough suppression, expectorants, and asthma relief. Once effectively and completely cured, acute bronchitis is not prone to recurrence. The so-called recurrence may occur if the patient's acute bronchitis was not 100% fully cured, or if medication was stopped too soon, leading to the re-emergence of clinical symptoms such as cough and sputum production shortly after treatment.

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Written by Yuan Qing
Pulmonology
56sec home-news-image

Why does acute bronchitis make you feel so tired?

Acute bronchitis is very exhausting, and this condition is mainly caused by two reasons. First, it is due to inflammation. After the infection, it is not necessarily confined to the trachea; it can release cytokines and inflammatory mediators throughout the body. These cytokines and inflammatory mediators can cause inflammatory effects throughout the body, leading many patients to feel sore limbs and fatigue. Second, during acute bronchitis, there can be a manifestation of relative hypoxia in the body. This is due to the disease, because the trachea itself is responsible for breathing. When there is an issue, the respiratory function will definitely be impaired, so the body will also experience fatigue and weakness due to hypoxia. All these symptoms are related to bronchitis. Once the symptoms of bronchitis improve, these symptoms can also improve.

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Written by Liu Jing Jing
Pulmonology
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Does acute bronchitis produce phlegm?

Acute bronchitis is characterized by the presence of phlegm and is caused by pathogen infections such as viruses, bacteria, mycoplasma, and chlamydia. These infections lead to congestion and edema in the airway mucosa. During this process, goblet cells proliferate, and mucus glands increase their secretion leading to an increase in phlegm. The excess phlegm can encapsulate pathogens and dust particles, which are then expelled from the body through the movement of cilia, a normal defensive response of the body. As the airway inflammation gradually improves, the amount of phlegm tends to decrease. If the phlegm is particularly viscous, treatment may include the use of medications that thin the phlegm to aid its expulsion.

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Written by Liu Jing Jing
Pulmonology
1min 1sec home-news-image

Can acute bronchitis cause coughing up blood?

Acute bronchitis can potentially lead to coughing up blood. This is because acute bronchitis involves the infection of the bronchi by pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, and mycoplasma, leading to congestion and swelling of the airway mucosa. Patients often exhibit symptoms such as coughing, expectoration, and fever. If coughing is severe, it could rupture small blood vessels, causing symptoms of coughing up blood. If blood is present in the cough, hemostatic treatment is needed. However, not all instances of coughing up blood are due to acute bronchitis. Other possible causes of coughing up blood include lung tumors, pneumonia, tuberculosis, and pulmonary embolism. Therefore, if symptoms of coughing up blood occur, chest X-rays or a chest CT scan should be conducted to confirm the diagnosis.

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Written by Han Shun Li
Pulmonology
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Can you exercise with acute bronchitis?

Common symptoms of acute bronchitis include coughing and expectoration. Some patients may experience chest tightness and shortness of breath. It is generally advised to rest during the illness period, as exercise is not recommended. Exercise increases lung capacity and the volume of air entering and leaving the airways, which can directly stimulate the respiratory tract, leading to worsened symptoms such as coughing and chest tightness. Additionally, after physical activity, the consumption of oxygen increases, which may lead to breathing through the mouth. This means the air bypasses the nasal cavity's filtering and warming, directly irritating the respiratory tract and exacerbating the symptoms of acute bronchitis. Therefore, it is advised to rest and avoid exercise, especially high-intensity activities, during an episode of acute bronchitis.