Understanding Bronchitis - Treatment

How Do I Know If I Have It?

Tests are usually unnecessary in the case of acute bronchitis, as the disease is easy to detect from your medical history and on examination. Your doctor will simply use a stethoscope to listen for the rattling sound in your lungs' upper airways that typically accompanies the problem.

In cases of chronic bronchitis, the doctor will almost certainly augment these procedures with an X-ray of your chest to check the extent of the lung damage, as well as with pulmonary function tests to measure how well your lungs are working.

What Are the Treatments?

Conventional treatment for acute bronchitis may consist of simple measures such as getting plenty of rest, drinking lots of fluids, avoiding smoke and fumes, and possibly getting a prescription for an inhaled bronchodilator and/or cough syrup. In severe cases of chronic bronchitis, inhaled or oral steroids to reduce inflammation and/or supplemental oxygen may be necessary. Alternative choices, by and large, help relieve the accompanying discomfort but do not treat infections.

Conventional Medicine
In healthy people who have normal lungs and no chronic health problems, antibiotics are not necessary, even when the infection is bacterial. The productive (phlegm-producing) coughing that comes with acute bronchitis is to be expected and, in most cases, encouraged; coughing is your body's way of getting rid of excess mucus. However, if your cough is truly disruptive -- that is, it keeps you from sleeping or is so violent it becomes painful -- or nonproductive (dry and raspy sounding), your doctor may prescribe a cough suppressant. In most cases, you should simply do all the things you usually would do for a cold: Take or acetaminophen for discomfort and drink lots of liquids.

If you have chronic bronchitis, your lungs are vulnerable to infections. Unless your doctor counsels against it, get a yearly flu shot as well as a vaccination against pneumonia. The pneumonia vaccine is typically a one-shot procedure: One vaccination will protect many for life against the common strains of the disease. Occasionally a second or booster shot is required.

Do not take an over-the-counter cough suppressant to treat chronic bronchitis unless your doctor directs you to do so. As with acute bronchitis, the productive coughing associated with chronic bronchitis is helpful in ridding the lungs of excess mucus. In fact, your doctor may even prescribe an expectorant if your cough is relatively dry. However, if you notice any changes in the color, volume, or thickness of the phlegm, you may be coming down with an infection. In that case, your physician may prescribe a 5 to 10-day course of broad-spectrum antibiotics, which fight a range of bacteria. If you are overweight, your doctor may insist that you diet to avoid putting excessive strain on your heart. If you have COPD (as demonstrated by an abnormal spirometry breathing test), many doctors also prescribe an anticholinergic bronchodilator, drugs that temporarily help dilate the lungs' constricted airways. However, the most important and most successful treatment for chronic bronchitis and COPD is smoking cessation. Your doctor may also prescribe steroids to reduce inflammation in the airways.

What Are the Treatments? continued...

In severe cases of chronic bronchitis with COPD, if your body's ability to transfer oxygen from your lungs into the bloodstream is significantly handicapped, your doctor may prescribe oxygen therapy, either on a continuous or on an as-needed basis. Oxygen-delivering devices are widely available. If you use an oxygen tank at home, be sure to take special care not to expose the apparatus to flammable materials (alcohol and aerosol sprays, for example) or to sources of direct heat, such as hair dryers or radiators.

If you smoke, your doctor will urge you to quit. Studies show that people who kick the habit even in the advanced stages of chronic bronchitis and COPD not only can reduce the severity of their symptoms but also can increase their life expectancy.

At-Home Remedies

For acute bronchitis:
During the acute phase of your illness when you are experiencing fever, shortness of breath, or wheezing, stay at home, keep warm, and drink plenty of fluids. You don't necessarily need to stay in bed, but don't overextend yourself. Consider using a vaporizer, or try inhaling steam over a sink full of hot water.

For chronic bronchitis:
Avoid exposure to paint or exhaust fumes, dust, and people with colds. Consider using a vaporizer or inhaling steam over a sink full of hot water. Dress warmly in cold, dry weather. Get help to quit smoking.