Understanding Viral Bronchitis

In the last post we understood Bacterial bronchitis, and in this post we will cover Viral bronchitis – which may be caused by a number of different things, and is actually quite common among the general public. It is similar to regular bronchitis conditions but there are a few very significant differences as well.

The biggest difference between viral bronchitis and other forms of bronchitis is that viral bronchitis is caused by a virus, whereas other forms are caused by bacteria.

The Difference

It can often be incredibly hard to tell the difference between these two forms of bronchitis, especially since both most often develop during or after a cold or other upper respiratory infection. As well both tend to have the same signs and symptoms, again not making anything any easier.

One of the most noticeable differences is that viral bronchitis is usually accompanied by a fever, whereas other types are not. Also, little to no mucus or phlegm is coughed up from the lungs in the beginning, whereas with bacterial forms of bronchitis this is one of the most major and noticeable symptoms.

In typically healthy people, which is considered as being the majority of the general population, both bacterial and viral bronchitis conditions will usually get better with simple home treatment, however if your condition is especially serious or has been left untreated for quite some time, then your doctor may have to recommend more severe methods of treatment.

Risk

Although there is no way to prevent yourself from bronchitis in general, there are certain risk factors that are involved, which you should try to avoid in order to prevent as best as possible your body from developing the condition.

You generally have a higher risk of developing bronchitis if you have had a recent illness or viral respiratory infection, or if you have chronic lung problems. You are at much higher risk if you are a smoker, and it is also important to realize that if you smoke and you do end up developing bronchitis, it will be much harder for your body to fight off the disease and you will have a much lengthier recovery time as well.

The best thing you can do then is try to maintain as healthy a lifestyle as you possibly can, and quit any unhealthy habits that you may have, namely smoking and excessive drinking. Again you will not be able to prevent yourself from ever getting bronchitis 100%, but you will be guarding yourself against it as best as possible and making yourself healthier in general at the same time.