Air is vital to your survival. Without taking in oxygen and expelling carbon dioxide, your body would cease to function. When you breathe in, bronchial tubes carry that air into the lungs. Bronchitis occurs when these tubes become infected and swollen. Environmental factors, viruses, bacteria, and other lung conditions are some of the causes of bronchial infection and swelling.

While anyone is at risk for bronchitis, there are several groups of people that are more prone to contracting it. They include:

• Individuals with gastric reflux.
• People with a weak immune system.
• Cigarette smokers.
• People exposed to chemical fumes, dust, and other irritants.
• People not vaccinated against pneumonia, the flu, and whooping cough.

Types of Bronchitis

Two types of bronchitis can affect human beings:

• Acute Bronchitis: This is the most common type of bronchitis. Symptoms related to it can typically last up to 10 days. The coughing may persist for several weeks after this period.
• Chronic bronchitis: This is a type of bronchitis that occurs more commonly among people with emphysema or asthma. It doesn't go away but instead persists for a longer duration of time. It is more severe and constitutes part of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Smokers are also at greater risk of developing it.

Symptoms of Acute Bronchitis

Acute bronchitis symptoms at the start of an infection mirror those of the common cold. These include:

• A runny nose.
• General fatigue.
• A sore throat.

These symptoms can persist for five days or more, after which others will begin to show. They include:

• Chills.
• A "rattling" feel in your chest.
• Wheezing or whistling while coughing.
• A low-grade fever, in some cases, of 37.7 to 38 degrees Celsius.
• Chest tenderness when you a cough.
• Feeling tired all the time.
• A clear, white, green, or yellow sputum produced when you cough.

The symptoms of infection first set in before a cough begins. Initially, the cough is dry, but after some time, it will start to produce mucus. This is the symptoms that is most indicative of bronchitis.

Symptoms of Chronic Bronchitis

If you encounter any symptoms that persist for more than three months, you may have chronic bronchitis. Some of its symptoms can include:

• Discomfort in your chest.
• A persistent cough producing a clear, green, yellow, or white phlegm. To be considered chronic bronchitis, it should occur for three months of the year and more than two years in a row.
• Wheezing.

Concerning Symptoms

There are certain bronchitis symptoms that can occur in addition to the ones listed above. If they do arise, you should call your doctor or seek medical attention immediately. These include:

• Weight loss that can't be explained.
• Chest pain.
• A cough that lasts for more than 10 days.
• Difficulty breathing.
• If you have a fever of 38 degrees Celsius or more.
• If you cough up mucus or blood.
• If your cough produces a barking sound that makes it hard to speak.
• If the mucus you produce turns darker, increases in volume, or becomes thicker.
• If your cough keeps you up at night.
• If your cough is severe and prevents you from performing your daily duties.

Top 5 Routes for "Bronchitis Symptoms"

1. MayoClinic.com This is a website produced by the Mayo Clinic. It provides information on various diseases and medical conditions, their causes, symptoms, treatments, and management.
2. WebMD.com This website offers medical information on various diseases and conditions. It reviews their causes, symptoms, treatments, and management. It also provides a symptoms' checker.
3. Healthline.com This is a website that provides information on different medical conditions and diseases. It analyzes their causes, symptoms, treatments, and management. It also provides a symptom checker and medical news updates.
4. Lung.org This website offers information put out by the American Lung Association. It provides information on various diseases and medical conditions that affect the lungs. It reviews the causes, symptoms, treatment, and management of these diseases and conditions. It also features a support community for interaction and to learn more.
5. Familydoctor.org This a website supported by the American Academy of Family Physicians. It delivers information on various medical conditions and diseases and analyzes their causes, symptoms, treatment, and management. It also provides a symptom checker.