Acute bronchitis (chest cold)

Overview

Acute bronchitis, often called a chest cold, happens when the airways of the lungs swell and make mucus. That's what makes you cough.

It's very common and usually follows a cold or the flu. The cough can be annoying and last a couple of weeks, but in healthy people it gets better on its own. Mucus that's yellow or green doesn't mean you need antibiotics.

Symptoms

Symptoms usually start during or after a cold and last less than 3 weeks.

• Coughing, with or without mucus
• Feeling tired
• Congestion
• Sore throat
• Mild body aches

Less common

• Soreness in the chest
• Mild headache
• Wheezing
• Low fever

How it usually goes

• Days 1–5: Cold symptoms, then a cough that may bring up mucus.
• Weeks 1–2: The cough is often worst, then slowly gets better.
• Week 3: Most coughs are gone. See a healthcare professional if yours lasts more than 3 weeks.

Look up a symptom: Cough · Fatigue · Mucus or phlegm · Sore throat · Wheezing

When to get medical care

Causes

A chest cold is usually caused by a virus, often the same ones that cause colds and the flu. Bacteria sometimes cause it, but antibiotics still aren't recommended.

The viruses spread through coughs, sneezes, and touching surfaces. Smoke, dust, and fumes can also irritate the airways.

Does it spread or run in families?

• It isn't contagious. You can't catch it from someone else.

Who is more likely to get it

• Smoking or being around secondhand smoke
• Asthma or COPD
• Cold and flu season
• Being around fumes or dust at work or home

Possible complications

• Pneumonia: High fever, fast breathing, and feeling very sick
• Whooping cough: Coughing fits that end in a whoop or vomiting

Diagnosis

A healthcare professional can usually tell it's a chest cold from your symptoms and by listening to your lungs. The main goal is to make sure it isn't pneumonia or another illness that needs different treatment.

Questions you may be asked

• How long you've been coughing
• Whether you have a fever or are short of breath
• Whether you've coughed up blood
• Whether you smoke, or have asthma or COPD
• Whether you've been around someone with whooping cough

The exam

They'll listen to your lungs, check your temperature, breathing rate, and heart rate, and may check your oxygen level with a small clip on your finger.

Tests

Most people don't need tests. Sometimes:

• Chest X-ray: If pneumonia is possible because of a high fever, fast breathing, or a fast heartbeat, or a cough that lasts more than 3 weeks.
• Flu, COVID-19, or whooping cough test: If the result would change your treatment.

Treatment

A chest cold usually gets better on its own, without antibiotics. Even when bacteria cause it, antibiotics aren't recommended and won't help. Home care eases the cough while your body heals.

Self-care

• Rest and drink plenty of fluids
• A clean humidifier or cool-mist vaporizer
• Breathe in steam from a bowl of hot water or a shower
• Honey to calm a cough, for anyone 1 year or older
• Throat lozenges or cough drops (not for children under 4)
• Saline nose spray or drops, and a suction bulb for young children

Medicines

Over-the-counter medicines may ease symptoms for a while but don't make a chest cold go away faster. Ask a pharmacist if you take other medicines.

Medicine names link to drug information from the U.S. National Library of Medicine (MedlinePlus). OwieClear doesn't give doses: follow the label or your healthcare professional.

If you have whooping cough or pneumonia, which can look like a chest cold, your healthcare professional will most likely prescribe antibiotics. People with asthma or COPD may need inhaler treatment.

How it compares

Prevention

These steps help prevent chest colds:

• Wash your hands often
• Keep up with vaccines, like the flu and whooping cough vaccines
• Don't smoke, and avoid secondhand smoke
• Cover coughs and sneezes, and stay home when you're sick

Which doctor treats this

• Start with your primary care provider (family doctor or internist).
• They may send you to a pulmonologist (lung doctor).

Back to school, work, or sports

• Most people keep up normal school and work. Rest when you need to.

Children, pregnancy, and older adults

• Babies and children: Call right away for a baby under 3 months with a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, or any child working hard to breathe. Use a suction bulb and saline drops for a stuffy nose. No honey under 1 year, and no lozenges under 4.
• People with heart or lung conditions: This page is for healthy people. If you have asthma, COPD, heart disease, or a weakened immune system, call your healthcare professional when you get a chest cold.
• Older adults: Get care sooner for a fever, trouble breathing, or feeling confused, since pneumonia is more common.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

• If you're pregnant or planning to be, tell your prenatal provider about this condition.
• Don't start or stop any medicine on your own. Some are safe in pregnancy and some need to be changed.
• Ask before taking any pain reliever. The FDA advises avoiding ibuprofen and naproxen after 20 weeks unless your doctor says to.
• Breastfeeding: Most medicines are fine, but ask. The NIH LactMed database lists what's known about each one.

Outlook

Most chest colds get better in less than 3 weeks without treatment. A cough that lasts longer should be checked.

Getting ready for your visit

A little preparation helps you get the most from a short visit.

What to bring

• How long you've been coughing, and your highest temperature
• Medicines you've tried
• Whether you smoke or have asthma, COPD, or heart disease

Questions to ask

• Could this be pneumonia, flu, COVID-19, or whooping cough?
• What can I do to sleep with this cough?
• When should I come back if the cough doesn't stop?

Research studies

Research studies test new ways to find and treat health problems. Some are looking for volunteers. Talk with your doctor before joining one.

Search ClinicalTrials.gov for studies on Acute bronchitis (chest cold)