What Is a Bronchitis Cough Like? 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.
The main symptom of bronchitis is a hacking cough. It is likely that your cough will bring up thick yellow-grey mucus (phlegm), although this does not always happen. Other symptoms of bronchitis are similar to those of other infections, such as the common cold or sinusitis, and may include: sore throat.
The main symptom of acute bronchitis is a cough. This is usually a dry cough at first, but it may later develop into a phlegmy cough, where you cough up mucus (sputum). Doctors call this a "productive" cough.
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.
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.
If your bronchitis is caused by a virus, you can be contagious for a few days to a week. If your bronchitis is caused by bacteria, you usually stop being contagious 24 hours after starting antibiotics. Other causes of bronchitis aren't contagious.
In addition to lab tests, sputum or mucus from a cough can be visually examined to determine whether bronchitis is viral, bacterial, or both. Clear or white mucus often indicates a viral infection, while yellow or green mucus may suggest a bacterial infection.
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.
“If you persistently cough up frank, red blood, you should seek medical advice. Fever higher than 102°F, a fever that lasts more than a few days, shortness of breath, a change in the mucus color or coughing with unexplained weight loss are all also signs you should see a physician,” Dr. Supakul says.
Signs and symptoms
The most obvious symptom of acute bronchitis is a short-term dry hacking cough, which can become a productive cough that produces white or yellow sputum. Wheezing and shortness of breath may also be present.
Dr. Supakul says acute bronchitis symptoms usually get better in about a week, although the cough can last for many weeks afterward. While uncomfortable, the coughing is actually a good response. It helps clear much mucus from the air tubes.
Call your doctor if your cough (or your child's cough) doesn't go away after a few weeks or if it also involves any one of these: Coughing up thick, greenish-yellow phlegm. Wheezing. Experiencing a fever.
Antibiotics are only used to treat bacterial chest infections. They're not used for treating viral chest infections, like flu or viral bronchitis. This is because antibiotics do not work for viral infections. A sample of your mucus may need to be tested to see what's causing your chest infection.
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.
Albuterol is one of the more common bronchodilators prescribed for treating bronchitis. It comes in the from of an inhaler. Steroids: If chronic bronchitis symptoms are stable or slowly getting worse, inhaled steroids, can be used to help minimize bronchial tube inflammation.
Doxycycline and amoxicillin are a couple examples of antibiotics used to treat bronchitis. Macrolide antibiotics such as azithromycin are used for less common cases of bronchitis caused by pertussis (whooping cough).
Bronchitis can lead to pneumonia if you don't seek treatment. If bronchitis is left untreated, the infection can travel from the airways into the lungs. That can lead to pneumonia. Bronchitis is an infection of the airways that lead to your lungs.
Expectorants: Excess mucus in the bronchi, lungs, or trachea can make breathing with bronchitis difficult. Expectorants help to clear mucus from the upper and lower airways. Guaifenesin (Mucinex) is a commonly used OTC expectorant.
Acute Bronchitis
It's usually caused by the same viruses that cause colds and the flu. But it can also be a symptom of COVID-19. Coronaviruses and other viruses that affect your respiratory system can cause bronchitis. This can sometimes lead to pneumonia, an infection of the tiny air sacs in your lungs.
Rest. 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.