Bronchitis is an infection of the tubes that lead to the lungs. It can be acute or chronic. Symptoms include a cough and wheezing. Smoking is a major risk factor. Find out more.

Signs and Symptoms of Bronchitis Symptoms of acute bronchitis. Acute bronchitis usually starts when you have inflammation in your airways due to a cold, COVID-19, or other respiratory infections.

Sinus infections and bronchitis can cause similar symptoms, such as coughing and fever. Both usually go away without treatment, but people can take some steps to ease their symptoms.

Acute bronchitis caused by an infection usually develops after you already have a cold or the flu. Symptoms of a cold or the flu include sore throat, fatigue (tiredness), fever, body aches, stuffy or ...

Symptoms of acute bronchitis develop suddenly, often alongside or shortly after a respiratory infection (e.g., common cold), and improve within a week or two. Some people may have a lingering ...

The NHS website recommends contacting your GP if symptoms last longer than three weeks, as you may need antibiotics if your bronchitis is caused by a bacterial infection. “Managing chronic ...

Bronchitis causes inflammation of the bronchial tubes, which are airways in the lungs. Symptoms, such as coughing and wheezing, can be acute or chronic.

Medically reviewed by Sanja Jelic, MD Bronchiolitis and bronchitis are both infections that affect the lungs and can have overlapping symptoms such as a cough, wheezing, and low-grade fever.

Bronchitis occurs when the bronchial tubes — the passages responsible for carrying air to the lungs — become inflamed. This inflammation results in swelling, mucus buildup, and even difficulty ...

But acute bronchitis is usually caused by a viral infection. Antibiotics don’t help with a virus. If your doctor thinks the cause is bacteria, they might prescribe antibiotics.

If you have bronchitis resulting from the flu, it could be contagious for 5–7 days after you contracted the infection, including about 1 day before you showed any symptoms.

“Acute bronchitis is most commonly caused by inflammation of the airways due to infections such as the common cold, influenza, or Covid-19,” says Sharma. On the other hand, chronic bronchitis ...