Bronchitis
ব্রংকাইটিস
Common Symptoms
Emergency Warning Signs
When to See a Doctor
Phone 999 or go to the hospital emergency department straight away if you have severe difficulty breathing. For example, you struggle to speak without pausing, or you are gasping or choking. Get help just as fast if you have severe chest pain in the middle of your chest that isn't going away. It may feel like pressure, tightness or squeezing. The same goes for pain that spreads to your arms, back, neck and jaw, or if you feel more drowsy than usual or find it harder to wake up. Check your lips and skin too. If they are turning pale, blue or grey, get help now. On brown or black skin, this is easier to see on the palms of your hands.
Contact your doctor urgently if you are more short of breath than usual, or if you have pain when you breathe in or cough. Also get in touch if you feel confused, dizzy or lightheaded, or if you feel sick or are being sick, for example if you can't keep food or fluids down. Coughing up blood (haemoptysis) needs a doctor's attention quickly too. So does a racing, slow or skipping heartbeat, or a fluttering feeling in your chest (heart palpitations). If you are peeing less than usual, that can be a sign of dehydration, so don't wait on it. And if you have a very high or low temperature, for example you feel either hot or cold to the touch, or you're shivering, see a doctor urgently.
If your doctor's chamber is closed, phone the 16263 health line.
Speak to your doctor if your breathlessness is not improving, or if you have had a cough for more than 3 weeks. Do the same if your symptoms are not getting better or they are affecting your daily life.
⚠️ This symptom list is for educational purposes. Having these symptoms does not mean you have this condition. See a doctor for proper diagnosis.
Medicines Commonly Used
⚠️ These medicines are commonly used for confirmed diagnoses of this condition. This is NOT a recommendation or prescription. Treatment must be determined by your doctor.
No medicines have been linked to this condition yet.
Bronchitis is an infection of the main airways of the lungs, which are called the bronchi. The infection leaves them irritated and inflamed. Most cases can be treated at home.
Anyone can get bronchitis, but it's most common in children under the age of 5. It's also more common in winter, and it often develops after a cold, sore throat or flu.
Read more: Common cold · Flu
Symptoms of bronchitis
The main symptom of bronchitis is a hacking cough, which may bring up yellow-green mucus (phlegm). Bronchitis may also cause:
- sore throat
- headache
- runny or blocked nose
- aches and pains
- tiredness
- shortness of breath or wheezing
Read more: Cough · Sore throat · Headaches · Shortness of breath
Call 999 or go to the hospital emergency department if:
- you have severe difficulty breathing, for example you struggle to speak without pausing, or you are gasping or choking
- you have severe pain in the middle of your chest that isn't going away, and it may feel like pressure, tightness or squeezing
- you have pain that spreads to your arms, back, neck and jaw
- you feel more drowsy than usual or find it more difficult to wake up
- your lips or skin are turning pale, blue or grey (on brown or black skin this is easier to see on the palms of your hands)
See a doctor urgently if you:
Contact a doctor urgently if you:
- are more short of breath than usual
- have pain when breathing in or coughing
- are feeling confused, dizzy, or lightheaded
- feel sick or are being sick (for example, you can't keep food or fluids down)
- are coughing up blood (haemoptysis)
- have heart palpitations, which may feel like your heart is racing, going too slowly or skipping a beat, or like a fluttering feeling in your chest
- are peeing less than usual, which can be a sign of dehydration
- have a very high or low temperature (for example, you feel either hot or cold to touch, or you're shivering)
If you can't reach a doctor, phone a doctor or the 16263 health line.
Read more: Heart palpitations · Dehydration
See a doctor if:
- your breathlessness is not getting better
- you have had a cough for more than 3 weeks
- your symptoms are not getting better, or they are affecting your daily life
Read more: Cough
Treatment for bronchitis
Most of the time, bronchitis clears up on its own within a few weeks, and you don't need any treatment for it. This kind is called acute bronchitis.
Things to do
- drink lots of fluid
- get plenty of rest
- stop smoking if you smoke
- avoid smoky environments
- take paracetamol to help with headaches, fever and pain (always follow the manufacturer's instructions)
- try a honey and lemon drink to soothe a sore throat and ease your cough
Your cough may last for several weeks after your other symptoms have gone. The constant coughing can also leave your chest and stomach muscles sore.
Read more: Sore throat
Complications of bronchitis
Pneumonia is the most common complication of bronchitis. It happens when the infection spreads further into the lungs and the air sacs inside them fill up with fluid.
Some people are more likely to develop pneumonia. They include:
- elderly people
- people who smoke
- people with other health conditions, such as heart, liver or kidney disease
- people with a weakened immune system
Mild pneumonia can usually be treated at home with antibiotics. More severe cases may need treatment in hospital.
Read more: Pneumonia