Did you know? There are actually two types of bronchitis: acute and chronic. Many people suffer from acute bronchitis every year, as it’s more common than chronic bronchitis.

Chronic bronchitis, on the other hand, is less treatable and can, unfortunately, last for a lifetime. Our AFC Urgent Care Boulder team provides further information on this type of bronchitis below, so keep reading.

What Is Bronchitis?

Bronchitis is when the airways in the lungs, the bronchi, become inflamed. This irritation can cause severe coughing spells that bring up mucus, wheezing, chest pain and shortness of breath.

What differentiates chronic bronchitis from acute bronchitis is the fact that chronic bronchitis is a constant inflammation of the bronchial tubes, while acute bronchitis develops from a virus. We’ve listed some common signs and symptoms of both acute and chronic bronchitis below.

Bronchitis Symptoms

• Cough
• Production of mucus (sputum), which can be clear, white, yellowish-gray or green in color—rarely, it may be streaked with blood
• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Slight fever and chills
• Chest discomfort

What’s So Bad About Chronic Bronchitis?

People with chronic bronchitis have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is a large group of lung diseases that includes chronic bronchitis. These diseases can block air flow in the lungs and cause breathing problems. The two most common conditions of COPD are chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

There are a number of treatments available to help control symptoms and ease breathing problems, and we’ve listed a few of them below.

Ways to Treat Chronic Bronchitis/COPD

• Quitting smoking
• Staying away from secondhand smoke and other lung irritants
• Taking oral medicines to open airways and help clear away mucus
• Taking inhaled medicines, such as bronchodilators and steroids
• Getting oxygen from portable containers
• Having lung reduction surgery to take out damaged areas of the lung
• Getting a lung transplant, in rare cases
• Humidifying the air
• Attending pulmonary rehab to help you learn how to live with your breathing problems and stay active

If you believe you may have COPD or have been dealing with breathing problems for an extended period of time, don’t wait to visit our AFC Urgent Care Boulder team today to get the treatment you need.