Bronchitis: Difference between revisions

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==Treatment==
==Treatment==
[[Bronchitis medical therapy|Medical therapy]] | [[Bronchitis surgery|Surgical options]] | [[Bronchitis primary prevention|Primary prevention]]  | [[Bronchitis secondary prevention|Secondary prevention]] | [[Bronchitis cost-effectiveness of therapy|Financial costs]] | [[Bronchitis future or investigational therapies|Future therapies]]
[[Bronchitis medical therapy|Medical therapy]] | [[Bronchitis surgery|Surgical options]] | [[Bronchitis primary prevention|Primary prevention]]  | [[Bronchitis secondary prevention|Secondary prevention]] | [[Bronchitis cost-effectiveness of therapy|Financial costs]] | [[Bronchitis future or investigational therapies|Future therapies]]
==Prognosis==
Acute bronchitis usually lasts approximately 20 or 30 days. It may accompany or closely follow a cold or the flu, or  may occur on its own. Bronchitis usually begins with a dry cough, including waking the sufferer at night. After a few  days it progresses to a wetter or productive cough, which may be accompanied by fever, fatigue, and headache. The fever, fatigue, and malaise may last only a few days; but the wet cough may last up to several weeks.
Should the cough last longer than a month, some doctors may issue a referral to an otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat doctor) to see if a condition other than bronchitis is causing the irritation. It is possible that having irritated bronchial tubes for as long as a few months may inspire asthmatic conditions in some patients.
In addition, if one starts coughing  mucus tinged with blood, one should see a doctor. In rare cases, doctors may conduct tests to see if the cause is a serious condition such as [[tuberculosis]] or [[lung cancer]].


==Prevention==
==Prevention==

Revision as of 20:52, 23 January 2012