What is bronchitis?Bronchitis may be acute or chronic:Acute bronchitisAcute bronchitis is a shorter illness that commonly follows a cold or viral infection, such as the flu. It consists of a cough with mucus, chest discomfort or soreness, fever and sometimes shortness of breath. Acute bronchitis usually lasts a few days or weeks.Chronic bronchitisChronic bronchitis is a serious, ongoing illness characterized by a persistent, mucusproducing cough thatlasts longer than three months. !eople with chronic bronchitis have varying degrees of breathing difficulties and symptoms may get better and worse during different parts of the year. If chronic bronchitis occurs with emphysema, it may become chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).What causes bronchitis?Bronchitis is usually caused by viral infection.Bronchitis is caused by theinflammation of the bronchial tubes, by viruses, bacteria and other irritant particles.Acute bronchitisAcute bronchitis is normally caused by viruses, typically those that also cause colds and flu. It can also becaused by bacterial infection and e"posure to substances that irritate the lungs, such as tobacco smoke, dust, fumes, vapors and air pollution.Chronic bronchitisChronic bronchitis is caused by repeated irritation and damage of the lung and airway tissue. #moking is the most common causes of chronic bronchitis, with other causes including longterm e"posure to air pollution, dust and fumes from the environment, and repeated episodes of acute bronchitis.$ecent developments on bronchitis causes from %&' newsSnoring affects development of chronic bronchitis, studyA study by researchers in #outh (orea found that snoring influenced the development of chronic bronchitis, but how and why remained somewhat of a mystery.Childhood respiratory disease lined to similar adulthood illnessesA new study published in the )ournal 'hora" reports that respiratory disease during early childhoodsuch as bronchitis, pneumonia and asthmaincreases the risk of illness and premature death in adulthood.Signs and symptoms of bronchitisBronchitis is characterized by persistent coughing.Signs and symptoms for both acute and chronic bronchitis include! !ersistent cough, which may produce mucus *heezing +ow fever and chills Chest tightening Sore throat Body aches Breathlessness "eadaches Blocked nose and sinuses.,ne of the main symptoms of acute bronchitis is a cough that lasts for several weeks. It can sometimes last for several months if the bronchial tubes take a long time to fully heal.It is common for the symptoms of chronic bronchitis to get worse two or more times every year, and they are often worse during the winter months.-owever, a cough that refuses to go away could also be a sign of another illness such as asthma or pneumonia.On the ne#t page we look at tests and diagnosis of bronchitis, prevention of the condition and the available treatments for bronchitis.Bronchitis: Causes, Symptoms and TreatmentsLast updated: Wednesday 22 July 201516Like491espiratory ! "sthmaC#$%&lu ! Cold ! S"S'n(ectious %iseases ! Bacteria ! )irusesadd your opinionemail*no+led,e center(Continued from page $%%%)'ests and diagnosis of bronchitis.our doctor will ask you about your symptoms, and in particular your cough. 'hey may also ask about your medical history, whether you have recently suffered from a cold or flu, whether you smoke or whether you have recently been e"posed to substances such as dust, fumes, vapors or air pollution..our doctor will usually use a stethoscope to listen for any abnormal sounds in your lungs. 'hey may also e"amine your mucus or test the o"ygen levels in your blood, and may recommend that you have a chest /ray, pulmonary lung function test or blood tests.&o eep bronchitis symptoms under control and relieve symptoms, doctors may prescribe!As cigarette smoking is the most common cause of chronic bronchitis, avoiding smoking is one of thebest ways to prevent it. 'ntibioticsthese are effective for bacterial infections, but not for viral infections. 'hey may also prevent secondary infections Cough medicinealthough coughing should not be completely suppressed as this is an importantway to bring up mucus and remove irritants from the lungs Bronchodilatorsthese open the bronchial tubes and clear out mucus %ucolyticsthese thin or loosen mucus in the airways, making it easier to cough up sputum Antiinflammatory medicines and glucocorticoid steroidsthese are for more persistent symptomsto help decrease chronic inflammation that may cause tissue damage ,"ygen therapythis helps improve o"ygen intake when breathing is difficult !ulmonary rehabilitation programthis includes work with a respiratory therapist to help improve breathing.Additional behavioral remedies include: $emoving the source of irritation to the lungsfor e"ample, by stopping smoking 0sing a humidifierthis can loosen mucus and relieve limited airflow and wheezing 1"ercisethis will strengthen the muscles involved in breathing Breathing e"ercisesfor e"ample, pursedlip breathing that helps to slow breathing down.'lthough you cannot al(ays prevent acute bronchitis or chronic bronchitis there are several measures that can be taen to reduce your ris of both conditions! 2o not start smoking3 )uit smoing if you already smoke Avoid lung irritants, such as smoke, dust, fumes, vapors and air pollution. If you cannot avoid e"posure to these, wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth *ash your hands often, to limit your e"posure to germs and bacteria 4et a yearly flu vaccine 4et a pneumonia vaccine.In a study in +ebanon, e"posure to passive smoking at work was associated with almost double the risk ofchronic bronchitis 5an 678 increased odds ratio9, while passive smoking at home was associated with more than twoandahalf times 5,dds $atio: :.;79 the risk of chronic bronchitis.+iving close to a busy road also almost doubles the risk, as does heating the home with hot air conditioning rather than electric heating. +iving close to a power plant has also been associated with a