Is acute bronchitis curable?

Written by Han Shun Li
Pulmonology
Updated on September 19, 2024
00:00
00:00

Acute bronchitis is a relatively common clinical condition. Patients often experience symptoms such as coughing and expectoration. Some may have chest tightness, shortness of breath, blood in sputum, and fever. Generally, after contracting acute bronchitis, it is important to rest, stay hydrated, avoid fatigue, and avoid getting chilled.

Regarding medications, if there is a cough without sputum, cough suppressants can be used. If there is excessive sputum, expectorants should be used. For chest tightness and shortness of breath, asthma medication is needed, and antipyretic analgesics are used for fever to relieve symptoms. Additionally, if there is evidence of bacterial infection, antibiotic treatment should be used under the guidance of a physician and not purchased privately. Generally, with the aforementioned treatments, most patients can be cured with a good prognosis.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Han Shun Li
Pulmonology
33sec home-news-image

Symptoms of bronchitis

If it is acute bronchitis, the onset is usually quite sudden and symptoms may include fever, cough, and expectoration. Some patients may experience bloody sputum or symptoms like chest tightness and shortness of breath. Coughing and expectoration often continue for two to three weeks, after which most patients can recover. If it is chronic bronchitis, the onset is often gradual, and symptoms such as coughing, expectoration, and wheezing occur repeatedly. The episodes each year may last for more than three months.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Jian Wu
Pulmonology
58sec home-news-image

Do you need to be hospitalized for acute bronchitis?

Acute bronchitis is a condition that develops quickly, occurs suddenly, and often has severe symptoms, for which hospital treatment is recommended. Hospitalization allows for effective monitoring of the condition and offers better medical facilities, including oxygen therapy and sputum extraction to relieve discomfort. The main treatment principle, apart from symptomatic treatment, involves choosing sensitive antimicrobial agents for anti-inflammatory treatment. Chest X-rays, complete blood counts, mycoplasma tests, and C-reactive protein tests can be carried out to diagnose the specific type of pathogenic infection. If acute bronchitis is caused by bacterial infection, intravenous administration of penicillin-type antibiotics can be used for anti-inflammatory treatment to control the infection. (Medications should be used under the guidance of a doctor, depending on specific circumstances.)

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Jian Wu
Pulmonology
44sec home-news-image

How long does it take for an infusion for acute bronchitis?

The duration of infusion therapy for bronchitis should be determined based on the pathogen causing the infection, the patient's constitution, and specific symptoms; generally, there is no fixed time frame. In normal cases, if immunity is normal, acute bronchitis can be treated with infusion therapy for about seven to ten days, and patients with mild symptoms can fully recover in three to five days. If the patient is frail, has low immunity, or if the medication is not effective against the pathogen, the course of the disease may be longer, requiring up to half a month or even more than twenty days. The specific duration should be decided based on clinical symptoms and the pathogen involved.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Wang Xiang Yu
Pulmonology
54sec home-news-image

Does acute bronchitis cause fever?

First, we need to know that acute bronchitis refers to the acute inflammation of the bronchial mucosa caused by biological, physical, chemical stimulation, or allergens. The main symptoms in most patients are cough and expectoration. The cough usually presents as a dry cough or a small amount of viscous sputum. Over time, the amount of sputum may increase, or the cough may worsen. A small proportion of patients may have bloody sputum. The cough and expectoration can last for two to three weeks, and in very rare cases, some patients may develop chronic bronchitis if the condition does not resolve. However, for most patients, the primary manifestations are still localized, that is, symptoms like cough and sputum. Systemic symptoms, such as fever, generally present mildly.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Jian Wu
Pulmonology
43sec home-news-image

Causes of bronchitis

Bronchitis is mostly caused by the invasion of pathogenic bacteria into the body, affecting the bronchi. Common pathogens include Streptococcus pneumoniae, rhinovirus, adenovirus, mycoplasma, chlamydophila, and it might also be due to infection by pathogenic bacteria such as Bordetella. It often occurs when the body's immune system is compromised, due to staying up late, being exposed to cold, lack of sleep, or getting wet in rain. During the acute phase, symptoms such as high fever, chills, coughing, spitting phlegm, and breathing difficulty may occur. It's important to detect and treat it early to prevent it from turning into chronic bronchitis.