Understanding bronchitis - diagnosis & treatment

How is bronchitis diagnosed?

Tests are usually unnecessary in the case of acute bronchitis, as the disease is easy to detect from your medical history and a physical examination. Your doctor will simply use a stethoscope to listen for the rattling sound in your lungs' upper airways that typically accompanies the problem.

In cases of chronic bronchitis, the doctor will almost certainly augment these procedures with an X-ray of your chest to check the extent of the lung damage, as well as with pulmonary function tests to measure how well your lungs are working.

What are the treatments for bronchitis?

Conventional treatment for acute bronchitis may consist of simple measures such as getting plenty of rest, drinking lots of fluids, avoiding smoke and fumes, and possibly getting a prescription for an inhaled bronchodilator and/or cough medicines. In severe cases of chronic bronchitis, inhaled or oral steroids to reduce inflammation and/or supplemental oxygen may be necessary. Alternative choices, by and large, help relieve the accompanying discomfort but do not treat infections.

Conventional medicine for bronchitis

In healthy people with bronchitis who have normal lungs and no chronic health problems, the infection is likely to be caused by a virus and so antibiotics will not be helpful. The productive (phlegm-producing) coughing that comes with acute bronchitis is to be expected and, in most cases, encouraged; coughing is your body's way of getting rid of excess mucus. However, if your cough is truly disruptive -- that is, it keeps you from sleeping or is so violent it becomes painful -- or non-productive (dry and raspy sounding), your doctor may prescribe a cough suppressant. In most cases, you should simply do all the things you usually would do for a cold: Take ibuprofen or paracetamol for discomfort and drink lots of liquids.

If you have chronic bronchitis, your lungs are vulnerable to infections. Unless your doctor counsels against it, get a yearly flu vaccination as well as a vaccination against pneumonia. The pneumonia vaccine is typically a once only vaccination: One vaccination will protect many for life against the common strains of the disease. Occasionally a second -- or booster -- shot is required.

Do not take an over-the-counter cough suppressant to treat chronic bronchitis unless your doctor directs you to do so. As with acute bronchitis, the productive coughing associated with chronic bronchitis is helpful in ridding the lungs of excess mucus. In fact, your doctor may even prescribe an expectorant if your cough is relatively dry. However, if you notice any changes in the colour, volume, or thickness of the phlegm, you may be coming down with a bacterial infection. In that case, your doctor may prescribe a 5 to 10-day course of broad-spectrum antibiotics, which fight a range of bacteria. If you are overweight, your doctor may insist that you diet to avoid putting excessive strain on your heart. If you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, as demonstrated by an abnormal spirometry breathing test), many doctors also prescribe an anticholinergic bronchodilator, drugs that temporarily help dilate the lungs' constricted airways. However, the most important and most successful treatment for chronic bronchitis and COPD is smoking cessation. Your doctor may also prescribe steroids to reduce inflammation in the airways.