Acute bronchitis, the chest cold that often follows a cold or the flu, can spread to the people around you. Chronic bronchitis comes from long-term lung irritation, usually from smoking, and doesn’t pass from person to person. Knowing which type you have can tell you how careful to be around family and coworkers.
If a cough has kept you up for days and you can’t tell what’s causing it, can help you find out.
What is bronchitis?
Bronchitis happens when the bronchial tubes, the passages that move air in and out of your lungs, become inflamed, according to Medline Plus. When those airways get irritated, mucus builds up, which is why you’ve been coughing.
Acute bronchitis usually starts just like a regular cold. After a few days, the illness moves into your chest and brings on a deep, hacking cough.
Which type of bronchitis is contagious?
Acute bronchitis is the contagious form of bronchitis. It’s usually triggered by the viruses that cause colds and flu, which can pass to anyone you spend time with while you’re sick.
Chronic bronchitis works differently. It’s a type of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) that develops after years of breathing in things that irritate the lungs, like cigarette smoke. You can’t catch it from someone else. People who have chronic bronchitis can still pick up a cold or flu, which can spread like any other infection.
How bronchitis spreads
The viruses behind acute bronchitis spread through coughs and sneezes. They also travel on unwashed hands. A child with a chest cold can easily pass it to the rest of the household.
You can lower the odds of passing bronchitis to others if you:
- Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your elbow
- Wash your hands often, especially after coughing or blowing your nose
- Don’t share cups or utensils
- Keep your distance from older adults and anyone with a heart or lung condition
How long is bronchitis contagious?
How long you stay contagious depends on which virus caused your illness. As a practical guide, the CDC states that you can go back to work or school once your symptoms are improving and your fever has stayed away for 24 hours without acetaminophen or ibuprofen keeping it down.
Coughing often continues for weeks after the infection clears, so a lingering cough doesn’t always mean you’re still contagious. If you care for someone at higher risk, ask a provider when to be around them again.
Acute vs. chronic bronchitis
Both kinds irritate your airways and trigger a cough. The difference lies in what sets them off and how long they last.
Acute bronchitis
Usually caused by a virus, acute bronchitis lasts only a short time. While most symptoms disappear in 7 to 10 days, its cough frequently lasts 2 to 3 weeks.
Chronic bronchitis
Smoking is the primary cause of chronic bronchitis, a lasting illness that can progressively worsen. According to the Mississippi State Department of Health, approximately 1 in 6 adults in Mississippi smoked cigarettes in 2022. When you have chronic bronchitis, catching a cold or the flu can be more intense than usual.
Common bronchitis symptoms
A cough is the major sign of acute bronchitis, and it often brings up mucus. Other common symptoms include fatigue, congestion, a sore throat and mild body aches. You might also notice chest discomfort, a low-grade fever or getting winded more quickly when you’re active. People with asthma may wheeze as well.
Hard coughing takes a toll of its own. After several days, your chest and ribs can feel sore. A cough that flares at night may also cut into the sleep your body needs to heal.
Bronchitis vs. pneumonia: How to tell the difference
When a chest cough drags on, it’s natural to worry about pneumonia. Bronchitis inflames the airways leading to your lungs. Pneumonia goes deeper, inflaming the tiny air sacs inside the lungs and filling them with fluid. Fever with chills, shortness of breath and chest pain that worsens with breathing or coughing all point more toward pneumonia. In older adults, unusual weakness or confusion can be a sign too.
Pneumonia and whooping cough can look a lot like acute bronchitis, which makes them hard to tell apart at home. At Amory Urgent Care, we can listen to your lungs and order a chest X-ray if needed.
Bronchitis treatment: Home care and when antibiotics help
Since acute bronchitis usually clears up on its own, treatment at Amory Urgent Care focuses on relieving your symptoms while you get better. At home, these steps can help:
- Get plenty of rest
- Drink lots of fluids
- Run a clean humidifier
- Try pasteurized honey
- Use cough drops
Most acute bronchitis comes from a virus, which antibiotics can’t treat. They come into play when a provider finds a bacterial infection with similar symptoms, such as pneumonia or whooping cough.
When to visit urgent care for bronchitis
Most chest colds improve with rest and time. The CDC recommends seeing a provider if you have:
- A fever of 104 degrees or higher, or a fever that lasts over five days
- Blood in your mucus
- Shortness of breath or trouble breathing
- Symptoms lasting longer than three weeks
- Repeated bouts of bronchitis
Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room if you’re having serious difficulty breathing or are experiencing chest pain.
Frequently asked questions
Can you go to work or school with bronchitis?
Typically, you can return once your symptoms are getting better and you’ve been fever-free for 24 hours without using medication to bring it down. Wearing a mask and maintaining some distance over the next few days helps protect those around you.
Can bronchitis turn into pneumonia?
Yes, which is why a cough that keeps getting worse needs attention.
Is bronchitis contagious after starting antibiotics?
Antibiotics typically aren’t involved, as most a virus that they can’t address causes acute bronchitis. How long you remain contagious depends more on your symptoms and fever than a prescription.
How long does bronchitis last?
Acute bronchitis typically resolves within three weeks, but the cough often lingers the longest. Chronic bronchitis is a persistent condition that won’t improve without intervention.
Get bronchitis care at Amory Urgent Care
When a cough has worn you down, one visit can help you find out what’s causing it. At Amory Urgent Care, a provider will examine you, check for pneumonia on-site if needed and give you a plan to help ease your symptoms.
Walk in any day from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 906 Highway 278 in Amory. Check in online to save time or call 662-256-5612.