by Andrew Allen

Created on: August 14, 2009   Last Updated: August 15, 2009

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BRONCHITIS is a respiratory disease. It is a swelling of air tubes which is characterized by cough, hacking cough, wheeze and mucus.

There are 2 major types of bronchitis: acute and chronic. Acute bronchitis is a common disease which typically lasts for a short period and is caused by influenza, the common cold, or an microbiosis. So, this kind of bronchitis is extremely infectious and is familial through cough, sneezing and merely by touching objects that have been touched by a sick person.

Chronic bronchitis is the other type of the disease. Unlike acute bronchitis, it protracts for a longer preriod. Its symptoms are similar to those of acute bronchitic: cough & wheeze. Nevertheless, its causes differ. Chronic bronchitis is typically caused by smoking, second hand smoke, a virus and so on and so forth. In general, it is not transmitted from one persong to another. Still, it not less annoying.

In spite of the different causes, the 2 types have much in common. Both of them are resistant to antibiotics. A virus causes bronchitis, and virus infections do not react to the germ-killing properties of antibiotics. They are efficacious against bacterial infections (for instance strep throat and bladder infections). Antibiotics can also cause complications, such as diarrhoea and yeast infections. More than that, they can undermine your immune system. So, antibiotics may cause more harm than good when they are not used in the right way.

Whatever type of bronchitis you suffer from, it begins with hacking cough & gradually turns into expectoration accompanied by fever, splitting headaches and exhaustion.

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

The spread of bronchitis can be avoided. A sick person should wash hands regularly & cover the mouth when coughing.

The best cure for bronchitis is herbal remedies. They will not damage your health as antibiotics can do & aim at the root causes. Natural cures are effective against both acute and chronic bronchitis.

Take all the necessary preventative measures to avoid the illness. Any disease is better to avoid than to cure.

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