Is bronchitis transmitted by airborne droplets?

How is bronchitis transmitted?

People should assume that they can spread the disease to others, even if bronchitis has not yet been confirmed by a doctor.

There are two types of bronchitis - acute and chronic. In most cases, acute bronchitis occurs under the influence of a virus. Chronic bronchitis is a type of chronic lung disease.

Patients with chronic bronchitis may also develop acute bronchitis. To do this, it is enough for the patient’s body to come under the influence of the virus. Cough is a common symptom of both forms of bronchitis.

People who have acute bronchitis can transmit the disease to others even when the first symptoms appear.

In the early stages, it is often difficult to determine the cause of a cough, since this symptom can be caused by bronchitis or many other medical problems. For preventative purposes, it is best for people to assume that they are capable of transmitting the infection.

In most cases, bronchitis spreads more easily in the early stages than in the later stages.

Factors causing inflammation of the bronchi

[Viruses] and bacteria are the most common causative agents of bronchitis, and they are transmitted by airborne droplets. Therefore, the possibility of contracting this disease cannot be excluded.

It is possible to determine exactly whether a patient is contagious or not by determining the cause that provoked inflammation of the bronchial tissue.

After all, the inflammatory process itself cannot be transmitted; this requires an appropriate environment.

Viral pathologies

Respiratory syncytial infection (RSI) most often leads to the development of bronchial inflammation. But the culprits of this pathology can be more than 150 strains of different viruses.

The leading places are occupied by: influenza virus, adenovirus, parainfluenza, cytomegalovirus.

According to medical statistics, the development of the disease in almost 90% of cases is characterized by the interaction of pathogenic microorganisms of different types.

Treatment is with antiviral drugs.

Bacterial infections

In the nasopharynx of patients with chronic foci of infection, the causative agents of the disease can be staphylococcus, streptococcus, hemophilus influenzae, etc. bacteria.

At the slightest suspicion of the bacterial nature of the disease, the doctor prescribes a course of antibacterial medications.

Bacteriological infections are spread by airborne droplets. Therefore, we can conclude that they are contagious.

Important to know: Medicine for chronic bronchitis - which one to choose?

Non-infectious causes

Often chronic [obstructive bronchitis] develops as a result of prolonged exposure to chemical, biological, and physical factors that constantly irritate the bronchial tissue.

For example, with prolonged inhalation of metallurgical and coal dust, interaction with chemical and toxic components, and frequent contact with allergic substances.

Risk factors for the development of pathology are considered to be age over 55 years, work in hazardous industries, smoking, frequent hypothermia, and alcoholism.

To understand whether bronchitis is contagious or not, you need to visit a doctor and find out your form of the disease. Only after a complete diagnosis will a specialist be able to identify the causative agents of bronchitis and prescribe adequate treatment.

How does bronchitis become infected?

The bronchitis virus can be transmitted from a sick person to a healthy person when they are close to each other.

When a person with bronchitis sneezes or coughs, infected droplets become airborne and can linger on surfaces.

Bronchitis can spread when infected droplets enter the following parts of the body:

• nose;
• mouth;
• Airways.

Late symptoms

In many cases of acute bronchitis, some symptoms persist for a long period of time after the body has already managed to cope with the infection. For example, a cough usually continues to bother people for several weeks.

Once a person recovers, they lose the ability to transmit the infection. However, both the sick person and those around him need to continue to maintain healthy hygiene, in particular, regularly wash their hands.

How is bronchitis transmitted from person to person?

The route of transmission of acute viral and bacterial bronchitis is airborne. In these cases, the pathogen is located in the patient’s respiratory tract, and during coughing and sneezing, it is released into the environment in the form of an aerosol, from where, with the flow of air at the moment of inhalation, it enters the mucous membrane of the airways of other people. Thus, infectious forms of bronchitis can be contracted from another person.

Is bronchitis contagious to others if its development is triggered by an allergic reaction? It is impossible to give a definite answer to this question. Let's explain why.

During a cough, microbes, along with tiny droplets of bronchial mucus, enter the environment, from where they can enter the respiratory tract of other people with the current of inhaled air.

In allergic (atopic, asthmatic) bronchitis, inflammation of the bronchi is provoked by exposure to certain substances to which a given person has increased sensitivity. These substances are called allergens. They can be anything, but the most common are:

• plant pollen;
• bird feather;
• pet hair;
• household dust;
• household chemicals.

If the development of allergic bronchitis is associated with such allergens, then this form of the disease does not pose an epidemiological danger. However, in some cases, pathogenic bacteria or fungi, as well as their metabolic products, act as an allergen. In other words, sometimes the cause of allergic inflammation is infectious agents; in these cases, allergic bronchitis will be contagious to those around the patient, transmission of infection is carried out by airborne droplets. At the same time, in other people, these same microbial agents can cause not allergic, but acute bacterial bronchitis.

Types of bronchitis

The main symptom of bronchitis is a regular cough. Typically this cough is wet, meaning it contains a large amount of mucus. A wet cough occurs because the airways become inflamed and begin to produce mucus in response to inflammation.

The difference between acute and chronic bronchitis is detailed below.

Acute bronchitis

Acute bronchitis is considered a short-term inflammation of the lungs and airways. Usually this problem bothers a person for no longer than three weeks. Acute bronchitis most often occurs in older adults, infants, and young children.

As a rule, acute bronchitis is a consequence of a viral infection, because people often suffer from this disease in the winter months, when viruses have more comfortable conditions for reproduction.

Acute bronchitis usually causes symptoms that resemble a cold or flu. In addition to cough, these include the following:

• chest pain;
• headache;
• fatigue;
• muscle aches;
• a sore throat.

Chronical bronchitis

People who smoke or have previously smoked are more likely to develop chronic bronchitis

Unlike acute bronchitis, chronic bronchitis is diagnosed in cases where the symptoms have the following characteristics:

• do not stop;
• are observed for at least three months within one calendar year;
• occur for at least two years in a row.

Chronic bronchitis belongs to a group of conditions that are described in medical practice under the umbrella term “chronic obstructive pulmonary disease” or “COPD.”

If the symptoms of bronchitis recur and do not go away within three consecutive weeks, then in such a situation a person should consult a doctor for a medical examination. The doctor will perform certain diagnostic procedures that will help determine whether bronchitis is chronic.

With chronic bronchitis, the following symptoms are more likely to occur:

• long-term cough with the production of significant amounts of mucus and sputum;
• constant shortness of breath.

People who have a history of COPD, smoke or have previously smoked are more likely to develop chronic bronchitis.

Because the symptoms of bronchitis are similar to those of many other diseases, doctors need to make an accurate diagnosis to ensure patients receive the correct treatment.

I wonder if bronchitis is contagious or not?

If someone in the family gets sick with bronchitis, a logical question immediately arises: is bronchitis contagious to others or not? Bronchitis can be caused by a bacterial or viral infection, and can also occur as a type of allergy.

The latter case is not contagious, provided that other family members are not allergic to the same irritant from which the sick person suffered. Viral and bacterial infections may be involved in the development of the disease separately or together. The time from the moment of infection to the appearance of the first signs of the disease is called the incubation period.

During the entire incubation period, a person is a source of viruses and bacteria for others. That is, he is already sick and can already spread the infection, but there are no manifestations of the disease yet. Depending on the state of the immune system and the type of bronchitis pathogen, the incubation period can range from one to five days.

Protection against bronchitis

Often the first cause of bronchitis is the parainfluenza virus or adenovirus. The victim may have a high fever for two to ten days, during which time the immune system actively fights pathogenic microorganisms. During this period, you can become infected from a person through airborne droplets, by using shared utensils, by kissing and inhaling the same air.

Bronchitis is contagious and is accompanied first by a dry and then a wet cough, during which the victim actively releases viruses or bacteria into the environment. In order for the treatment of bronchitis to proceed quickly and without complications, you need to contact a specialist.

Acute bronchitis is contagious and occurs with many unpleasant and performance-reducing symptoms, so an adult must take a sick leave for a period of ten to fourteen days for health reasons, and children must refuse to attend kindergarten and school during this time. Is it possible to get bronchitis after a person's high fever subsides? It is possible, it all depends on who comes into contact. Which categories of people are most vulnerable to infection:

• people after surgery, after a serious illness;
• pregnant women;
• children under three years of age, especially newborns up to one month;
• aged people;
• persons with weakened immune systems, HIV-infected people suffering from chronic diseases, oncology, weakened after injury.

To protect those people for whom bronchitis is clearly contagious, they need to limit contact and communication with a sick person. If this is not possible, you need to use a respirator to protect your nose and throat.

The simplest version of a respirator is a mask, which is sold in any pharmacy. Bronchitis is transmitted by airborne droplets, so you need to use only individual dishes, do not drink from the same mug, and do not eat with the same fork. Some families do not understand the importance of individual hygiene, to the point of giving the baby food that has already been chewed by an adult. Such things should not be allowed under any circumstances.

Each person has a set of symbiont bacteria, that is, a set of beneficial or conditionally pathogenic microorganisms. In close contact, for example, among a married couple or between a mother and an infant, this set becomes common. Communication with secondary relatives should not imply such a dense exchange of microorganisms. Each family member for individual use should have:

• Toothbrush;
• towel;
• clean dishes that no one has eaten from before;
• for a child - a pacifier and a bottle.

Unfortunately, often irresponsible mothers begin to lick the nipple of a bottle or pacifier before giving it to the baby (for example, if the nipple fell on the floor beforehand). This behavior can provoke, at best, indigestion, and at worst, weaken the immune system. Children and adults who do not practice good hygiene are more likely to become infected from someone with bronchitis.

Diet for bronchitis

In order to support the immune system of surrounding family members, it is useful to prepare dishes during illness that contain:

• garlic;
• onion;
• ginger;
• fresh herbs, parsley, green onions, dill.

Recent studies have shown that the role of vitamin C in strengthening immunity is not at all as significant as it was thought over the past twenty years. However, using lemon, lime or tangerines is useful in any case. Spices, herbs and garlic should be added to food after the main heat treatment is completed, that is, immediately before consumption. This way you can retain the maximum beneficial properties.

When cooked for a long time, greens not only lose their taste, but also lose most of their vitamins. With ginger you can prepare not only tea, but also soups and main courses. To ensure a pleasant taste, you need to purchase fresh ginger root and chop it finely. Only a doctor can tell how many days bronchitis will be contagious. Without appropriate treatment, the disease can become chronic in both adults and children.

For chronic bronchitis, a temperature above 38.5 degrees is not typical; usually it either does not rise or rises to 37.5 degrees.

Chronic bronchitis has remissions, when a person is conditionally not contagious. During remission, the victim does not suffer from severe cough, fever or swelling of the airways. Then a relapse occurs, during which all the typical manifestations of bronchitis are observed:

• wet cough with a large amount of sputum;
• weakness, headache, muscle soreness;
• spasms when coughing, a suffocating lingering cough that is difficult to stop on your own.

During remission, the likelihood of becoming infected is quite small; for an adult with a strong immune system, it is completely absent. During a relapse, there are the same chances of transmitting the disease as with acute bronchitis.

How to quickly cope with bronchitis in a child?

Treatment of children should be carried out by a pediatrician on an individual basis. You cannot give a child antibiotics or other medications if his classmate or classmate from kindergarten had “something similar.”

Prescription of drugs should not occur en masse, but separately in each specific case.

Children who do not have bacterial bronchitis do not need to take antibiotics for prevention. Many mothers do not understand that medications are selected depending on the specific type of pathogen. If the medicine is not used as directed, it will not be of any benefit.

Bronchitis can cause a lot of unpleasant complications. If the patient's temperature cannot be reduced within a week, this suggests that the infection has spread down the respiratory tract. Potentially, bronchitis can cause pneumonia; in children, bronchitis is often accompanied by otitis media. The infection enters the ear through the Eustachian tube. To avoid complications and cope with the disease as quickly as possible, you need to contact a competent pediatrician. Traditional medicine methods can be used on children only in consultation with the attending physician.

If a child has a fever, no hot compresses, socks with heated salt, heating pads, mustard plasters or pepper plasters should be applied to the bronchial area. This promotes the spread of inflammation into deeper layers of tissue. Only a day after the temperature has steadily returned to normal, these methods can be used as prescribed by a doctor.

Foot baths with mustard or medicinal herbs can be used a day after the temperature drops.

Prevention of bronchitis

The victim must be provided with rest and bed rest for the entire duration of the illness. Do not go to school or kindergarten, do not play with other children.

Often mothers allow their child not to attend school, but do not forbid them to play with other children and go for a walk. At this time, children become infected from each other, especially on playgrounds. During illness, it is enough to ventilate the room; you can refuse to walk. To prevent your child from contracting bronchitis from a playmate, you need to strengthen his immunity.

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Causes

A number of different factors can cause acute or chronic bronchitis. Below, the causes of both types of bronchitis are described in more detail.

Viruses and bacteria

Acute bronchitis usually develops under the influence of a viral infection, that is, in the same way as the flu or a cold. This means that acute bronchitis can be transmitted from a sick person to a healthy person.

In rare cases, bacterial infections can cause acute bronchitis.

Environmental factors

Certain environmental factors may increase the risk of developing acute bronchitis. They cause inflammation of the airways and make the lungs more prone to infections.

Such factors include the following.

• Contaminated air. The air can be polluted with harmful substances resulting from the operation of industrial enterprises, cars, and thermal power plants.
• Aggressive chemicals. Paints, solvents and other chemicals can harm the lungs and respiratory tract if inhaled.
• Cigarette smoke. People who smoke not only increase their own risk of developing acute and chronic bronchitis, but also endanger the health of those around them who inhale cigarette smoke through passive smoking.
• Other environmental factors. Inflammation of the respiratory tract can be caused by dust, smoke or large fires.

Types of disease and possibility of infection

Bronchitis is a fairly serious and common disease, its main symptom is cough. The types of disease are classified according to the duration of the cough.

In acute bronchitis, it goes away within three weeks. If chronic, it can last up to three months and recur several times throughout the year.

If the disease is accompanied by shortness of breath, then the correct diagnosis is obstructive bronchitis.

Sharp look

[Acute bronchitis] is characterized by the development of inflammation of the mucous membrane of the entire bronchial tree.
The peculiarity is that during inflammation the tissues of the trachea are involved. At the same time, secretory secretions increase sharply along with a strong cough. The mucous membrane swells greatly and the bronchi become almost completely blocked.

The acute form is manifested by a dry cough, during which sputum is released. The patient must be treated for at least three weeks, after which the disease subsides.

Is acute bronchitis contagious or not? Yes, it's contagious.

When you cough, especially if it is wet, pathogenic bacteria are spread into the air, which can be inhaled by a healthy person, which can trigger the onset of an inflammatory process.

Therefore, if a person is diagnosed with acute bronchitis, his contacts with healthy people must be completely excluded so as not to infect others.

Chronic form of the disease

[Chronic bronchitis] is a sluggish progressive lesion of the bronchial system.
This diagnosis is established if the patient cannot get rid of a cough with sputum discharge for several months of the year.

In this case, both small and large bronchi are affected, developing a protracted inflammatory process.

The chronic form is dangerous because such a disease can cause complications in the form of bronchial asthma.

The treatment prescribed is serious and long-term, since first of all it is necessary to completely eliminate the possibility of a relapse, and then carry out therapeutic procedures.

Chronic bronchitis is not always contagious.

If its occurrence is caused by a weakened immune system, hypothermia or stressful situations, then those around you may not worry about the possibility of becoming infected.

If a relapse of the chronic form is the result of exposure to bacteriological or viral infections, then the likelihood of infection is high.

It should be noted that the disease itself is not contagious. The cause of infection is pathogenic microbes and bacteria that spread between patients through airborne droplets.

Moreover, in infected patients, inflammation does not necessarily manifest itself in the form of bronchitis; it all depends on the state of the immune system.

On the street, the likelihood of infection is significantly reduced; if the cause of your interlocutor’s cough is unknown to you, then you should leave the room or minimize the communication process.

Prevention

Regular hand washing helps prevent the spread of bronchitis

To completely avoid or reduce the risk of developing acute and chronic bronchitis, people can follow the recommendations below.

• Stop smoking. It is important for people not only to quit smoking, but also to avoid accidental inhalation of cigarette smoke. Smoking weakens the immune system and thus makes it more difficult for the body to fight infection. Quitting smoking is the simplest step people can take to significantly improve their respiratory health.
• Avoid polluted air. Car exhaust, dust or harmful fumes increase the risk of developing bronchitis and other respiratory problems such as asthma.
• Wear masks. Masks that cover both the mouth and nose help avoid exposure to irritants and reduce inflammation in the airways.
• Get vaccinated. Most people need an annual flu vaccine, as well as vaccinations against pneumonia and whooping cough. Such preventive measures help maintain the health of the entire body at a higher level throughout the year.
• Wash your hands. Regular hand washing and wet cleaning of premises help prevent the spread of viruses.

Treatment

Treatment for acute and chronic forms of bronchitis is different.

Treatment of acute bronchitis

Antibiotics are not usually used to treat acute bronchitis, since the causative agent of this condition in most cases is viral rather than bacterial infections.

Typically, acute bronchitis goes away within a few weeks. Recommended therapeutic strategies for this condition include the following:

• consumption of large volumes of liquid;
• providing rest to the body;
• using a humidifier to relieve cough;
• inhaling steam from a shower or from a container of hot water;
• taking over-the-counter medications recommended by your doctor.

Smoking cigarettes can worsen the symptoms of acute bronchitis and increase the time it takes for the body to recover. Therefore, doctors recommend giving up cigarettes at least for the duration of your illness, and ideally forever.

Is bronchitis contagious?

Bronchitis

– a group of diseases that provoke an inflammatory process in the mucous membranes of the bronchi. Typically, pathology often occurs during seasonal outbreaks of ARVI. However, this is not a reason to say that bronchitis is necessarily a contagious disease. Is bronchitis contagious to others?

Depending on the type of pathogen, there are 3 types of bronchitis:

• infectious;
• caused by chemical or mechanical irritants;
• resulting from radiation damage.

If the disease occurs after irradiation or exposure to chemical or mechanical factors, bronchitis cannot be contagious a priori. The absence of a number of signs helps to distinguish these types from the infectious type:

• temperature;
• runny nose;
• wet cough.

The fact that bronchitis is contagious can only be said if the pathology is infectious in nature. It should be taken into account that an infected person will have the same pathogenic microorganisms. However, the infected person will not necessarily develop bronchitis; it is likely that the pathology will take a completely different form.

Is obstructive bronchitis contagious?

Children most often suffer from acute obstructive bronchitis. But this does not mean that adults are not susceptible to pathology. The disease is caused by a viral infection that is easily transmitted by airborne droplets.

In this case, microorganisms do not immediately enter the bronchi. First, they settle in the area of ​​the nasal passages, which leads to rhinitis. As pathogenic viruses spread, the larynx is affected. In this case, the patient is diagnosed with pharyngitis or laryngitis. If measures are not taken at this stage to treat the pathology, the risk of bronchitis seriously increases.

The main causative agent of acute bronchitis in obstructive form is the influenza virus. It is he who prefers to choose the mucous membranes of the bronchi for settlement. Therefore, it is not surprising that obstructive bronchitis often becomes a complication of the common cold.

Is acute bronchitis caused by non-viral or bacterial factors contagious? This option cannot be excluded. In case of helminthic infestation, the bronchi may be affected. In this case, the parasite will be transmitted, like viruses, by airborne droplets during coughing and breathing.

Is chronic bronchitis contagious?

As in the case of the acute form, chronic bronchitis is contagious only when there is an infectious cause. Typically, frequent respiratory diseases caused by Pfeiffer's bacillus, pneumococci, influenza and parainfluenza viruses lead to chronic pathology.

Symptoms of chronic bronchitis include:

• shortness of breath;
• wheezing in the chest;
• nonproductive cough;
• release of a small amount of sputum, which, as the pathology progresses, contains pus.

Often the disease occurs in a weakened form and is accompanied only by general malaise.

The exacerbation of the pathology continues for at least 3 months. At this time, it is necessary to carry out treatment with drug therapy, which completely depends on the cause of the disease. It is during the period of exacerbation that bronchitis in adults and children becomes contagious. During remission, pathogens go into hibernation and do not pose any danger to others.

To avoid contracting bronchitis, it is enough to follow the prevention measures that are recommended during seasonal outbreaks of ARVI. It is advisable when communicating with a patient:

1. Use a gauze bandage.
2. Wash your hands often with soap.
3. Strengthen immunity.
4. Get flu shots.

Compliance with preventive measures will protect against the development of infection, even if you have to care for a loved one suffering from chronic bronchitis.

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