In most cases, bronchitis is treated at home, with rest and with a good amount of fluids, without the need for medication.
However, if bronchitis does not go away with these measures, or if it is chronic bronchitis, whose symptoms may last more than 3 months, remedies such as antibiotics, bronchodilators or mucolytics may need to be used.
- Chronic bronchitis is an incurable COPD and medications are usually needed to keep the disease under control or to treat symptoms during exacerbation of the disease.
- Learn more about COPD and how treatment is performed.
The most commonly used remedies to treat bronchitis are
Painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen, for example, are used to relieve symptoms such as fever and pain associated with acute or chronic bronchitis.
It is important to note that people with asthma should not take ibuprofen or any non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin, naproxen, nimesulide, among others.
In some cases, your doctor may prescribe mucolytics, such as acetylcysternine, bromhexine, or ambroxol, for example, that help relieve productive cough because they work by smoothing mucus, making it more fluid and therefore easier to remove.
These medicines may be used for acute bronchitis, chronic bronchitis and exacerbations, but should be used with caution in children under 6 years of age and only under medical supervision.
Drinking plenty of water helps make the medicine more effective and helps dilute and eliminate mucus.
Acute bronchitis is usually caused by viruses, so antibiotics are rarely prescribed.
In most cases, your doctor will only prescribe an antibiotic if there is a risk of developing pneumonia, which can occur if you are a premature baby, an older person, people with a history of heart, lung, kidney or liver disease, weakened immune systems, or people with cystic fibrosis.
Bronchodilators are usually treated for chronic bronchitis, in continuous treatment or in exacerbations and in some cases acute bronchitis.
These drugs are used, in most cases, through an inhaler and work by relaxing the muscle in the walls of the small airways, opening these pathways and allowing to relieve chest oppression and coughing, facilitating breathing.
Examples of bronchodilators used to treat bronchitis include salbutamol, salmeterol, formoterol or ipratropium bromide, for example, these drugs may also be given by nebulization, especially in the elderly or people with reduced respiratory capacity.
In some cases, your doctor may prescribe corticosteroids for oral administration, such as prednisone, or inhalation, such as fluticasone or budesonide, for example, that reduce inflammation and irritation of the lungs.
Corticosteroid inhalers often also have an associated bronchodilator, such as salmeterol or formoterol, which are long-acting bronchodilators and are generally used in continuous treatments.
In addition to drug treatment, there are other ways to treat bronchitis, such as physiological serum misting, physiotherapy, or oxygen administration; In addition, symptoms can also be alleviated by adopting a healthy lifestyle, such as exercising regularly, avoiding smoking, and adopting a balanced diet Learn more about bronchitis and other treatment methods.