Winter brings with it a multitude of seasonal illnesses which all share similar symptoms, therefore making it harder to easily identify what you actually have. Having a persistent cough could just mean you are recovering from a cold, but it could also be an indicator of something more serious - bronchitis. Knowing the difference between the two is extremely important, as bronchitis can be either acute or chronic.
Being able to identify the symptoms can help you receive the correct treatment quicker and take a step towards recovery. But what even is bronchitis and how does it differ from other seasonal colds? Fortunately, health experts have explained what this illness entails and what red flags to look out for. They have also advised when medical intervention is needed.
Dr Ashwin Sharma, from pharmacy MedExpress, explained: "Bronchitis is a respiratory condition characterised by inflammation of the airways in the lungs ." It is a condition that can present itself in two distinct forms: acute and chronic. Erika Radford, head of health advice at Asthma + Lung UK , explained the difference between the two.
She said: "Acute bronchitis is a common respiratory infection that affects both children and adults and usually gets better on its own. "Whereas chronic bronchitis is more common in people over the age of 35 and is usually caused by long-term lung damage, the main risk factors being smoking or exposure to air pollution.” Acute bronchitis is mostly caused by the inflammation .
