Chronic bronchitis is part of a group of conditions called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD. COPD also includes chronic emphysema and asthma. Pneumonia symptoms are usually more severe than those of bronchitis. Acute bronchitis and pneumonia are both caused by an infection, while chronic bronchitis is caused by lung irritation.
Acute bronchitis is usually caused by a virus. In both viral and bacterial bronchitis, germs enter the bronchial tubes of your lungs and cause irritation. Sometimes, a cold or other respiratory infection turns into bronchitis.
Chronic bronchitis is caused by frequent exposure to things that irritate your lungs, such as cigarette smoke, polluted air, or dust. Pneumonia usually results from a virus, bacteria, or fungi. Inhaling irritants can also cause it.
When these germs or irritants enter the alveoli in your lungs, you can develop pneumonia. Bronchitis occurs when germs or irritants make their way into your bronchial tubes. Pneumonia happens when these enter your alveoli, which are small air sacs in your lungs. Crackling, bubbling, whistling, or rattling sounds could be signs that you have either bronchitis or pneumonia. Bacterial pneumonia and acute bronchitis are both treated with antibiotics. For viral cases, your doctor may prescribe an antiviral drug.
If you have chronic bronchitis, your doctor may prescribe a breathing treatment or steroid drug that you inhale into your lungs. The medicine helps to reduce inflammation and clear mucus from your lungs. For more severe cases, your doctor might also prescribe supplemental oxygen to help you breathe. If the underlying cause is bacterial, you should start feeling much better within a day or two of starting antibiotics.
Pneumonia and acute bronchitis are usually short-lived infections. You can often treat them yourself at home, and they should get better within a week or two. However, you might have a lingering cough for several weeks. However, there are key differences between these infections that you need to know about. If you have ever been diagnosed with either one or know someone who has, you'll want to know how they differ.
Acute bronchitis is inflammation of the airways that lead to the lungs. It can occur after a viral illness such as the common cold or flu or occasionally it can develop on its own. Typically bronchitis is viral, meaning that antibiotics are not helpful in treating it. Symptoms of bronchitis include:. Acute bronchitis can resolve on its own within about a week but the cough may linger for weeks or even months. If you've been diagnosed with bronchitis and your symptoms worsen or change significantly, you may have developed another infection.
Contact your healthcare provider to be seen again if this happens. Acute bronchitis is most often caused by a virus, so antibiotics are rarely prescribed. Antibiotics are ineffective against viruses and using them to treat a viral infection only leads to antibiotic resistance. Occasionally, bronchitis is caused by a bacteria and if your healthcare provider believes this is the case, she may prescribe antibiotics to treat it at that time.
More often, however, treating acute bronchitis simply means finding relief from the symptoms until the illness resolves. You may find over-the-counter OTC medications helpful and you should try to rest as much as possible and increase your fluid intake as well.
And although acute bronchitis is bothersome, it is typically not as severe as pneumonia. Get our printable guide for your next healthcare provider's appointment to help you ask the right questions. Pneumonia is an infection in the lungs. People with pneumonia typically feel much worse than a person with bronchitis would.
Although both illnesses can cause a painful cough , pneumonia causes other significant symptoms as well. Symptoms of pneumonia may include:. There are many types of pneumonia and some are more serious than others. The most common type of pneumonia in adults is bacterial pneumonia. It can cause severe illness and is a leading cause of death among Americans. The CDC reports that approximately , Americans are hospitalized each year with pneumococcal pneumonia—the most common type of pneumonia.
Thousands die from it as well. Getting adequate rest is essential when you have pneumonia. It is a serious illness that takes time to heal and recover from. There are less severe forms of pneumonia—like walking pneumonia—that come with milder symptoms and don't always need to be treated with antibiotics.
Your healthcare provider will determine what type of pneumonia you have based on your symptoms, a physical exam, and tests. A chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD exacerbation is another issue entirely when compared to chronic bronchitis. Depending on the kind of COPD a person has emphysema or chronic bronchitis , these symptoms may be slightly different. Patients with chronic bronchitis generally have more mucus production and cough, whereas people with emphysema have more shortness of breath, although either type of COPD can cause any number of these symptoms.
A COPD exacerbation may be caused by an infection virus, bacteria, or other kinds of pneumonia , but it may also be caused by non-infectious causes such as fumes, irritants, or smoke.
The most prominent symptom of bronchitis is a cough—often a cough that occurs in spells, Dr. And during the first few days of bronchitis, symptoms often mimic the common cold.
The ALA lists the following signs as more symptoms of bronchitis:. Pneumonia symptoms can be similar to those of bronchitis, but there are some pretty major differences—namely the severity of symptoms. According to MedlinePlus, those include:. Those symptoms, however, can very between populations.
Young children, for example, may experience the gastrointestinal issues, while older adults may experience more milder versions of the respiratory symptoms. Generally, pneumonia lasts longer than bronchitis—a few weeks to a few months, according to MedlinePlus—and, unlike bronchitis, it can lead to more severe issues like bacteremia when bacteria move to the bloodstream , lung abscesses, kidney failure, or respiratory failure.
You may be able to relieve some symptoms with over-the-counter mucus-loosening drugs or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs like ibuprofen. A humidifier in your room or a couple of teaspoons of honey in tea or warm water may soothe the coughing as well. The best way to prevent bronchitis is to continue practicing healthy habits, per the ALA—that means avoiding lung irritants in work settings, and staying on the defense during winter months, like washing your hands regularly, avoiding sick people, and getting a flu shot every year.
Antibiotics, however, can help treat bacterial pneumonia, while some people with viral infections may benefit from antiviral medication. No matter the cause, rest and fluids can help you recover from pneumonia, but more serious cases may involve hospitalization.
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