Infectious bronchitis or not for others - ways of transmission, peculiarities of the course and treatment

Bronchitis is a common disease of the respiratory system. In this regard, information related to methods of transmission, clinical picture and treatment of these pathologies, is interesting and relevant for people. Bronchitis, although not very disturbing, but still cause discomfort, accompanied by coughing, sputum separation. Naturally, nobody wants to observe such symptoms. So, what is bronchitis, is this infirmity contagious or not, how is it treated - questions that are important to find the answer.

The essence of bronchitis and their classification

With bronchitis, as it is clear from the name, the bronchi are affected. This part of the respiratory system is covered by the inflammatory process. Depending on the peculiarities of the course of diseases, acute and chronic bronchitis is isolated. The first forms develop due to infectious factors. Most often, acute bronchitis is diagnosed during flu epidemics. They are caused by a respiratory syncytial virus, rhinoviruses, parainfluenza viruses.

Chronic bronchitis is the inflammatory lesion of the bronchial tree due to prolonged irritation of the airways. In 20% of cases, the ailment develops as a secondary chronic form. It occurs as a result of an incurable acute prolonged or recurrent bronchitis. In 80% of cases, chronic bronchitis is not associated with acute bronchitis, is a primary chronic disease.

Non-obstructive and obstructive bronchitis

Before we learn about whether or not bronchitis is contagious, we will consider more varieties of the disease. Chronic forms are divided by specialists depending on the functional characteristics on non-obstructive and obstructive. The first of them is called even simple. These diseases are not accompanied by a violation of ventilation of the bronchi.

In obstructive bronchitis, breathing is difficult, people with dyspnea develop shortness of breath. And all this is observed because of spasm of the bronchi. With it, mucus accumulates in the respiratory system and can not go outside.

Infecting bronchitis for others

Microorganisms that cause acute bronchitis, when coughing, sneezing, during conversations and kisses from a sick person get into the environment. With air during inspiration, they penetrate into the organisms of healthy people, settle on the mucous membrane of the bronchi, cause inflammation with weakened immunity. From this we can conclude that acute bronchitis is contagious for adults and children. But it is not always when these microorganisms get into these diseases, because viruses can cause flu, rhinitis, pharyngitis, and other ailments.

Is bronchitis occurring in chronic form contagious or not? This kind of inflammation can not be transferred from a sick person to a healthy person, that is, a healthy person who does not have bronchitis, can not immediately become infected with chronic obstructive or obstructive form. The fact is that this ailment develops under the long-term impact of a number of exogenous and endogenous predisposing factors:

1. Exogenous factors include smoking tobacco, inhaling contaminated or infected air, prolonged overheating or hypothermia, abuse of strong alcoholic beverages( alcohol is partially excreted throughrespiratory system).
2. Endogenous predisposing factors include the age of more than 40 years, the male gender( features of the profession, habits), the frequent occurrence of acute respiratory viral infections, family propensity to respiratory diseases, nasopharyngeal disorders with respiratory failure through the nose.

It is important to consider that chronic bronchitis is dangerous for others during periods of exacerbations, when pathogenic viruses and bacteria enter the body. When they cough, they will get into the air, penetrate into the organisms of other people, provoke inflammation, develop acute respiratory diseases. So is obstructive bronchitis or non-obstructive species contagious? Yes, the disease can be dangerous for others.

Features of the course of acute bronchitis

We have found out whether the surrounding people are infected with acute bronchitis. It usually develops within hours after the pathogens get on the bronchial mucosa, but sometimes the symptoms begin to appear after 2-3 days. The first signs of bronchitis are a feeling of weakness, the appearance of a cold, pain in the throat, subfebrile or moderate fever.

Symptoms also include coughing. This is the main manifestation of acute bronchitis. At the beginning of the disease people are concerned about a dry cough. After a couple of days it becomes wet, mucous sputum begins to depart.

People who understand whether infectious bronchitis is contagious or not, it will be interesting to know that the course of the disease is favorable. Recovery occurs approximately 10 days later. The disease lasts longer in weakened patients. Such people recover 3-4 weeks later.

Symptoms typical for chronic bronchitis

For chronic non-obstructive bronchitis is characterized by cough, observed for at least 3 months a year and at least 2 consecutive years. The presence of this symptom is marked by sick people. They also complain about the presence of sputum. With exacerbation of bronchitis and with the attachment of a bacterial infection, sputum becomes mucopurulent. In such periods, body temperature rises, sweating is observed, dyspnea appears. In diseases, both during periods of exacerbations and during periods of remission, the ventilation capacity of the lungs remains normal.

Obstructive chronic bronchitis is characterized by symptoms such as shortness of breath, cough, and the presence of sputum. The first sign is observed during exacerbations, and during remissions, but at the same time during exacerbations it is more pronounced. Against the background of increasing dyspnea, severe respiratory failure develops.

Treatment of acute bronchitis

Disease that occurs in an acute form and without complications, is treated at home with the advice of a doctor. Until the moment of recovery it is recommended to limit contacts with other people, because the answer to the question of whether or not the bronchitis of this species is contagious is positive.

During treatment, doctors inform patients about the benefits of moistened air, the need for copious drinking. For the body are useful teas with the addition of raspberry jam or honey, warmed alkaline mineral water, herbal decoctions prepared, for example, on the basis of linden flowers, oregano. With an abundant drink, the general condition improves, and unpleasant sensations in the trachea area decrease.

In acute bronchitis medication is prescribed:

1. In the early days antiviral agents are shown, since viruses cause disease, and it is because of them that bronchitis is contagious to others. One of the drugs used in the treatment, for example - remantadine.
2. With the further development of the disease, bacteria are often attached to viruses. Because of them, the condition of patients deteriorates very much - there is purulent sputum, dyspnea arises or grows, signs of intoxication begin to appear. At this stage of the disease, antibiotic therapy is prescribed. Examples of drugs - erythromycin, spiramycin, azithromycin.
3. For expectant sputum, expectorants are prescribed. It can be koldreks, ambroksol. Positive effect can provide infusions of herbs of thermopsis, althea roots.

Treatment for chronic forms of the disease

Having received a negative answer to the question of whether chronic bronchitis is contagious, we will consider the peculiarities of the therapy of this disease. There is no specific treatment regimen for the disease. It is made by doctors for each patient individually, taking into account the features of the course of the disease, the presence of complications. However, nevertheless, some common features in the treatment of patients are:

• no remedies are applied during remission;
• in the phase of exacerbation with the separation of purulent sputum requires antibiotics;
• for expectant sputum, expectorants are prescribed;
• when the symptoms of exacerbation abate, physiotherapy, chest massage and exercise therapy are useful.

In chronic bronchitis, rehabilitation treatment is indicated. It is carried out during the warm season at the resorts of Crimea, in the sanatoriums of the Middle Volga, Ural, Baltic, Altai, etc. To prevent repeated exacerbations, it is important to eliminate all factors that cause irritation of the bronchial mucosa( harmful working conditions, smoking).

Recommendations for parents who have children with bronchitis

Parents who are aware of whether the bronchitis is infectious for children and who are confronted with this disease should begin treatment of their crumbs with non-medicamentous methods. They include:

• plentiful drink to facilitate expectoration and sputum production;
• periodic airing of the room( humidified air is useful, because thanks to it the bronchial mucus does not become more viscous - it is easier to expectorate, and with it the weight of cough and its duration decreases);
• diet( in the diet of a sick child include gogol-mogol, mucous barley and oat decoctions, forest or walnuts, mixed with honey and boiled water).

For the use of medicines, the doctor's recommendations are necessary, but it is important to know that some specialists, unfortunately, sometimes prescribe the wrong treatment. They have recommended antibiotics from the first days, when the bacteria did not penetrate the body yet. These funds for viral bronchitis can not help. They can only worsen a child's condition. It is important to turn to good, proven doctors.

In conclusion, it should be noted that acute bronchitis is contagious to others, and the chronic form is not transmitted. It is also important to know that if the disease is easy, the disease is treated at home, and in severe cases, the presence of concomitant pulmonary and cardiac pathologies, the threat of the development of acute pneumonia of patients is hospitalized.