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Acute bronchitis
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Acute bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchi, the large tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs. For that diagnosis, there must be no evidence of pneumonia, and it typically shows up in people without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the long-standing disease that blocks the flow of air through the lungs.
What happens inside is specific. The bronchial wall becomes inflamed: the mucosa, its inner lining, thickens; its epithelial cells, the ones in the most superficial layer, slough off; and the basement membrane, the sheet those cells rest on, is left exposed. The tube does not close: it is irritated inside and responds with a cough.
That is why the leading symptom is cough, with or without phlegm. Between 90% and 95% of cases in healthy adults are viral in origin, and the illness is self-limited: it resolves on its own in one to three weeks.
In brief
Acute bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchi, without evidence of pneumonia, and it typically affects people who do not have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The inflammation thickens the lining of the bronchial wall, strips away its epithelial cells and leaves the basement membrane bare.
The tube does not close: it is irritated inside and responds with a cough.
That is why a persistent cough dominates; 90% to 95% of cases in healthy adults are viral, and it usually clears on its own in one to three weeks.
Sources (1)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingAcute Bronchitis, StatPearlsPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated