Types of Bronchitis

Viral Bronchitis Vs. Bacterial Bronchitis

Doctors sometimes hear the question, what's the difference between viral bronchitis vs. bacterial bronchitis. The goal of this article is to answer that question in easy-to-understand, non-medical terms. It is not intended for medical professionals.

Symptoms of viral bronchitis vs bacterial bronchitis are virtually the same. So how to you known which one you may have, and how to treat it? The answer is that you should rely only on your doctor to diagnose viral bronchitis vs bronchitis and decide on a course of treatment. Bronchitis is a serious illness that deserves medical attention. Antibiotics will help if you have bacterial bronchitis. Antibiotics are useless against viral bronchitis.

Bacterial bronchitis occurs when the bronchi in the respiratory system are inflamed because of a bacteria invasion. Bacterial bronchitis is not as common as the other type: viral bronchitis. One of the types of bacteria that cause bacterial bronchitis is Mycoplasma pneumoniae, which is the same bacteria that causes walking pneumonia.

Viral bronchitis, as the name implies, is caused by viruses, including the same virus that causes the condition generally known as the flu.

Bronchitis can also occur when you inhale "bad air," such as chemical fumes, dusts. or smoke.

The term viral bronchitis is frequently used by the general public, even if the illness is caused by bacteria or, in rare cases, fungi or pollution.

Acute bronchitis vs. chronic bronchitis Bronchitis can also be classified as acute or chronic.

Acute bronchitis is usually caused by a virus. Viral bronchitis is also sometimes called short term bronchitis because it usually goes away after you've had it for a few days, or in severe cases, a few weeks.

Chronic bronchitis, however, is a serious lung disease for which there is no cure. For that reason, it's sometimes called long term bronchitis. In the majority of cases, long term bronchitis is caused by smoking.

Both forms of bronchitis are similar in the way they affect your respiratory system. The air passages that lead to your lungs, known as the bronchial tubes, become irritated and inflamed. When you have viral bronchitis, the bronchial tubes return to normal in a relatively short time. However, when you have long term bronchitis, your bronchial tubes have probably become scarred. This causes permanent (chronic) irritation and inflammation, along with breathing and lung problems.

Viral bronchitis may lead to other respiratory problems like asthma or stretching of the air passages (known as bronchiectasis).

Is bronchitis contagious? Bronchitis is typically contagious. Viruses or bacteria can spread from one person to another thanks to a sneeze or cough.

Bronchitis can be extremely dangerous, because when it's left untreated, it can result in pneumonia.

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