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Is Bronchitis contagious?
Sometimes it does happen that you suffer from a cough for a while, more than a week or so. This type of cough irritates the air passage and makes you cough more often. Then you get doubts regarding its contagious nature. Will Bronchitis spread? Is Bronchitis contagious? Then you need to know the reality.
The answer to the question: ‘Is bronchitis contagious?’ lies in the way through which you have contracted this disease. It even says how long it lasts. It would help if you looked out for some specific signs of Bronchitis that show up.
The major symptom of Bronchitis is severe cough.
Types of Bronchitis
There are two major types of Bronchitis; they are as follows:
1. Acute
In the case of acute Bronchitis, it doesn’t spread. In the case of chronic bronchitis, the disease will spread.
When a person contracts the disease, the bronchial tubes leading from the mouth to the lungs get swollen. They start producing protective mucus, which triggers a sudden and consistent cough.
The consistent cough is activated due to a few reasons. The virus transmitted infection is the main reason, and sometimes bacteria or fungal infection also can cause this kind of reaction.
The apt answer to, “Is bronchitis contagious?” Acute Bronchitis is caused due to a contagious infection. This kind of acute Bronchitis is often referred to as chest cold.
It often lasts for less than 3 weeks.
2. Chronic
When a person is exposed to some pollutants or irritants like tobacco or smoke, it causes an allergic reaction like swelling and causes a lot of mucus production. It leads to chronic Bronchitis. Chronic Bronchitis is not contagious. This type of Bronchitis lasts for three months. This is a COPD or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This requires the immediate attention of the healthcare provider. It requires long-term treatment for it.
The symptoms of Bronchitis
- A consistent cough that doesn’t allow a person to sleep at night.
- Pain in the chest due to coughing.
- Sore throat and pain.
- Fatigue and headache, and body pains.
- A low-temperature fever.
In the case of chronic Bronchitis, a person can even get a secondary infection caused by a virus or bacteria. The germ may be contagious in this kind of condition.
Is Bronchitis contagious? If so, how does it spread?
If the Bronchitis is due to a virus and bacteria which causes cold and flu, it is acute Bronchitis. Is Bronchitis contagious? Yes, if a person is infected with acute Bronchitis, it is very contagious, and easily it can spread to others as well.
The infection, which is the reason for Bronchitis, can easily spread through talking, coughing, or sneezing. It is always better to be away from an infected person by maintaining distance.
Is Bronchitis contagious? Yes, this infection spreads easily from person to person by the bacteria or virus deposits on a surface and when someone touches it. If we touch the infected droplets and touch their face again, this causes infection.
Bronchitis caused by bacteria can even turn into bacterial pneumonia. The bacteria which cause bacterial Bronchitis is the similar one that causes pneumonia, the bacteria like Streptococcus pneumonia and Staphylococcus aureus.
Is It Bronchitis or Pneumonia?
The person will have cold symptoms as it stays in the person’s body for 2 to 6 days before we see the symptoms.
Is Bronchitis contagious? As soon as the body is exposed to the virus, the disease becomes contagious. Before the symptoms develop, the virus becomes very contagious. Many days the symptoms are not seen in the carrier. After many days, the infection can spread, and the symptoms develop.
Is Bronchitis contagious? Yes, once the infection is contracted, the person feels cold or flu symptoms for 10 days. The symptoms other than cough may reduce, but the cough lingers around the throat region. In the complete phase of sickness, Bronchitis develops, and the cold and cough are contagious for a few days and sometimes even for a week.
The antibiotics are not administered for viral or bacterial Bronchitis normally. They should be administered appropriately in some cases and at a particular time. Then it will no longer be infectious for 1 day after taking the antibiotics.
How to Prevent Catching or Spreading Bronchitis?
If you want to avoid contracting the disease, it is better to maintain distance from sick people. It would help if you were away from sick people, and also washing hands regularly would help. Using sanitizer and wearing a mask covering the mouth and nose should avoid contracting the disease. It’s always better to wear a mask to avoid inhaling the microorganisms.
If you have already contracted the disease and don’t want to spread the infection, maintain distance from people and cover your nose and mouth using a mask. Don’t go to shops or do any work that spreads germs. Instead, stay home and try to improve your health.
Always cover your nose and mouth and also sneeze or cough into the elbow. Do not touch people or surfaces. Avoid using common areas like doorknobs, ATMs, or store surfaces.
Follow the same precautions if you are sick and don’t want the infection to spread to your family. Wear masks and wash hands and use sanitizer. Take medicines appropriately. Stay away from proximity. Sleep in another room. Do not share towels etc.
Get a vaccine for pneumonia every year. It will help you resist the disease. It even helps to prevent disease if you are already old. Get a flu shot every year.
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Ninety-nine percent of cases resolve on their own with time and rest. Sometimes, in some cases, as the symptoms do not reduce, it is time to go for the healthcare professional.
- If the fever is above 100.4 degrees F
- When cough contains bloody mucous
- You have trouble breathing and wheezing sounds are head
- Check symptoms persist even after three weeks
- If the cough subsides and again comes backs