Vicks VapoRub can help to improve breathing and the ability to rest when you're dealing with bronchitis congestion. It can be especially effective in children.
To help suppress the cough associated with bronchitis, rub on a topical cough suppressant ointment such as Vicks VapoRub, suggests Rachel Schreiber, MD.
Don't smoke and avoid secondhand smoke, chemicals, dust, or air pollution. Always cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing. Keep your distance from others when you are sick, if possible. Antibiotics will not treat acute bronchitis.
Most people get over bronchitis in about two weeks, but it might take as long as three to six weeks. You can manage your symptoms at home with over-the-counter medicines while you get better.
Most cases of acute bronchitis develop when an infection causes the bronchi to become irritated and inflamed, which causes them to produce more mucus than usual. Your body tries to shift this extra mucus through coughing. Smoking is the most common cause of chronic bronchitis.
The most common symptoms of bronchitis are: Runny, stuffy nose. Low-grade fever. Chest congestion.
A bronchitis cough sounds like a rattle with a wheezing or whistling sound. As your condition progresses, you will first have a dry cough that can then progress towards coughing up white mucus.
Your cough from bronchitis may be worse at night because the airways tend to be more sensitive and prone to irritation when the airway muscles are relaxed. 9 You may also feel more congested and stuffed up because mucus can pool in your upper respiratory tract when you're lying down.
Generally, you should be feeling better from acute bronchitis within a week or two, though you may have a lingering cough and fatigue for three weeks or more. The types of viruses and bacteria that cause bronchitis will usually have been in your system from two to six days before you start feeling cold symptoms.
Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and milk products. Try home remedies like spicy foods, mullein tea, vitamin C, zinc, garlic, and over-the-counter saline nasal spray.
It's unsafe for any use in children under 2 years old. In adults and children age 2 and older, use it only on the neck and chest. Swallowing a few teaspoons of camphor — one of the main ingredients in VapoRub and other topical medications, such as Campho-Phenique and Bengay — can cause deadly poisoning in toddlers.
Vicks is your friend:
Not only is it antiviral (most chest coughs are viral infections), but it relieves your cough and loosens up mucus.
Vicks products cannot cure the cold or flu, but they can help relieve chest congestion symptoms so you can feel better while your body heals from the cold or flu virus. When you have chest congestion symptoms, the mucus build-up in your lungs can become very thick and dense.
Treatment. Acute bronchitis usually gets better on its own—without antibiotics. Antibiotics won't help you get better if you have acute bronchitis. When antibiotics aren't needed, they won't help you, and their side effects could still cause harm.
Bronchitis is when the airways in your lungs, your bronchi, become inflamed. This irritation can cause severe coughing spells that bring up mucus, wheezing, chest pain and shortness of breath.
Also, bronchitis cough gets worse at night. Listen to your body and get as much rest as you can, especially over the first few days. If a nighttime cough keeps you awake, use an extra pillow to prop up your head and keep mucus from settling in the back of your throat.
Most cases of acute bronchitis go away on their own in 7 to 10 days. You should call your doctor if: You continue to wheeze and cough for more than 2 weeks, especially at night when you lie down or when you are active. You continue to cough for more than 2 weeks and have a bad-tasting fluid come up into your mouth.
Most people get over an acute bout of bronchitis in two to three weeks, although the cough can sometimes hang on for four weeks or more. If you're in otherwise good health, your lungs will return to normal after you've recovered from the initial infection.
Most people DO NOT need antibiotics for acute bronchitis caused by a virus. The infection will almost always go away on its own within 1 week. Doing these things may help you feel better: Drink plenty of fluids.
If you have symptoms of bronchitis, stay home to avoid spreading your viral infection to others. To properly treat your acute bronchitis, get plenty of rest, drink lots of liquids, and take over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen (Advil) and acetaminophen (Tylenol) to treat your symptoms.
Leafy green vegetables such as spinach, Swiss chard, cabbage, collard green. Green vegetables have antioxidants which help in combat infection. Garlic: Recommended raw intake- Garlic is an ancient's medicine for cold, cough and mucus liquid and is still recommended by many dietitians and doctors.