| Bronchitis is an acute respiratory disease. It is an inflammation of bronchi, or air passages, characterised by cough, hacking cough, wheeze & sputum.
There are two major types of bronchitis: acute and chronic. Acute bronchitis is a common disease that usually lasts for a short period & is induced by flu, the common cold, or an microbiosis. Therefore, this type of bronchitis is highly infectious & is hereditary through cough, sneeze and merely by touching objects that have been touched by a sufferer from bronchitis.
The other kind of the disease is chronic bronchitis. Unlike acute bronchitis, it protracts for a longer period of time. Its common symptoms are similar to those of acute bronchitic: cough and difficulty in breathing. Yet, its causes differ. Chronic bronchitis is typically caused by smoking, second hand smoke, a virus etc. By and large, it is not contagious. Yet, it not less annoying.
Though the causes differ, the 2 types have much in common. Both of them are antibiotic-resistant. The thing is that bronchitis is induced by a virus, & viral infections do not react to the germ-killing properties of these potent medications. They are efficacious against bacterial infections (for instance strep throat & bladder infections). Antibiotics can also cause complications, for instance diarrhea and yeast infections. Furthermore, they can undermine your immune system. Hence, antibiotics may cause more harm than good if they are misused.
Whatever kind of bronchitis you suffer from, it starts with hacking cough & gradually turns into sputum accompanied by fever, splitting headaches & fatigue.
As long as you have the symptoms, your acute bronchitis is deemed to be contagious. It you have had this disease for more than six months, you should make an appointment with your GP to check for other diseases.
The spread of bronchitis can be avoided. A sufferer should follow hygienic rules. It is a must to wash hands regularly & cover the mouth when coughing.
The best cure for bronchitis is herbal remedies. They will not damage your health as antibiotics can do and aim at the root causes. Herbal remedies are efficacious against both acute & chronic bronchitis.
Take all the necessary preventative measures to avoid the disease. Any disease is better to avoid than to cure. |
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