What is acute bronchitis? Acute Bronchitis is inflammation of the tubes that carry air to the lungs . When these tubes get inflamed, they swell and produce more mucus. The swollen tubes and increased mucus trigger cough and may cause breathing difficulty. Acute bronchitis generally develops rapidly and lasts 2 to 3 weeks in otherwise healthy people.

What causes acute bronchitis?

Acute bronchitis is usually caused by a virus. It is more common during the winter and often affects after an upper respiratory tract infection such as flu or common cold.Acute bronchitis can also be due to exposure to smoke, chemicals, or air pollution, which can irritate the bronchial tubes.

What are the risks of acute bronchitis? Acute bronchitis is a little risk. Pneumonia is the most serious complication and is most likely to develop if you have a long-term chronic disease, such as asthma, cystic fibrosis, or heart failure, or a weak immune system.

How effective are antibiotics for acute bronchitis? Research on antibiotics and acute bronchitis suggests that antibiotics modestly control cough after 1 to 2 weeks, but they have no effect on a night cough or a cough with mucus.

What are the risks of using antibiotics? Antibiotics have side effects, such as diarrhea, nausea, upset stomach, vomiting, sore mouth, skin rash, dizziness, and headache. Inappropriate use of antibiotics can lead to antibiotic resistance, as a result the bacteria develops in a way that allows them to survive despite the medicine, so that the antibiotic may not work the next time it is used.