Home Care Tips For Acute Bronchitis

Home Care Tips For Acute Bronchitis
By Rudy Chong

A cold or flu usually lasts about a week, but after all the symptoms are gone, you may find yourself with a cough that lingers a while longer. The cough may be productive, meaning you cough up mucus, usually yellow or gray instead of clear, or dry and hacking. Such cough is often a sign of acute bronchitis.

Bronchitis occurs when the lining of the tubes leading to the lungs gets inflamed and begins making too much mucus. When this happens, your body must cough to clear out the extra mucus. Acute bronchitis in otherwise healthy person may be caused by viruses or bacteria. These organisms can also cause pneumonia. Airborne irritants – such as smoke, dust, chemical fumes – even cold weather may cause bronchitis. People with asthma may develop bronchitis more easily when they have a respiratory infection. Because bronchitis is so closely related to pneumonia, it is important to see your doctor to rule out pneumonia if symptoms get worse instead of better or if they last longer than a week. Often a chest exam is all that is needed, but your doctor may also order chest X-rays or a mucus culture. If your doctor prescribes an antibiotic, take it until it is gone, even if you feel better.

The best treatment for bronchitis is to drink plenty of fluids. By drinking six to eight glasses of clear liquids, not milk, a day, you will help keep the mucus from gumming up your bronchial tubes. When the mucus is thin and fluid, it is easier to clear away by coughing. And when the bronchial passages are clear and the inflammation has gone away, so too will the cough. Here are some other things you can do on your own at home to treat bronchitis:

1. Watch for signs of pneumonia. This includes coughing, shaking and chills, temperature as high as 104° or 105° F, white or yellow or green blood-streaked or rust-colored mucus, shortness of breath, chest pain, and fatigue. Because pneumonia left untreated can be life threatening, it is important to see your doctor if your bronchitis becomes worse or you start to have the said symptoms. Severe cases of pneumonia require hospitalization.

2. Get plenty of rest. Listen to your body. You may be able to continue your daily routine while you have bronchitis, but don’t overdo it. If you feel tired, rest.

3. Avoid alcohol and caffeine. Either can make you lose body fluid, which you need to keep the mucus thin.

4. If you feel you need medicine, choose a cough suppressant or an expectorant. Some cough medicines contain antihistamines or other preparations you probably don’t need or want when you have bronchitis.

Look for a cough preparation that has only the cough suppressant dextromethorphan. If you are coughing up mucus you might also try one with the expectorant guaifenesin.

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