Bronchitis contagious

BRONCHITIS is an acute respiratory disease. It is an inflammation of bronchial tubes, or air passages, characterised by cough, hacking cough, difficulty in breathing and expectoration.

There are 2 main types of bronchitis: ACUTE & CHRONIC.

Acute bronchitis is a common illness that normally protracts for a short time and is induced by influenza, the common cold, or an infection. Thus, this type of bronchitis is extremely infectious and is genetic by means of cough, sneeze & 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 conditions are similar to those of acute bronchitic: cough & wheeze. However, its causes differ significantly. Chronic bronchitis is generally induced by smoking, second hand smoke, a virus and so on and so forth. In fact, it is not contagious. But it does not mean that the disease is less severe.

Despite the different causes, the two types have much in common. Both of them are resistant to antibiotics. The thing is that bronchitis is induced by a virus, and virus infections do not respond to the germ-killing properties of these extremely powerful drugs. They are efficacious against bacterial infections (for example strep throat and bladder infections). Antibiotics can also lead to complications, such as diarrhoea and yeast infections. Furthermore, they can undermine your immune system. So, antibiotics may cause more harm than good if they are not used properly.

Whatever type of bronchitis you have, it starts with hacking cough and gradually turns into sputum accompanied by fever, pounding headaches and fatigue.

As long as you have the conditions, your acute bronchitis is deemed to be contagious. It you have had the disease for more than six months, you should have an appointment with your GP to check for other diseases.

You can avoid the spread of the disease. A sick person should observe a personal hygiene by regularly washing hands and covering the mouth when sneezing.

The best treatment for bronchitis is natural remedies. They will not hurt your immune system and health as antibiotics can do & aim at the root causes. Natural remedies are effective against both acute & chronic bronchitis.

Anyway, it is better to avoid a disease than treat it.
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