Bronchitis
Key points about treatments
Bronchitis usually clears up on its own after a few weeks.
- You may find it helps to take painkillers, such as acetaminophen, and drink lots of fluids.
- Doctors don't usually recommend antibiotics for people with bronchitis. Antibiotics may help a small amount, but they have side effects.
- You may want to try a cough mixture. But there isn't much good-quality research on whether or not this will help.
- There's no good evidence that medications called expectorants help bronchitis. These medications aim to clear mucus from the lungs.
- Many cough and cold remedies aren’t recommended for children under the age of 2. To find out more, read Treating coughs and colds in children.
This information was last updated on Feb 05, 2009
This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.
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Your use of this information is subject to our User Agreement available at www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org.
Source: ConsumerReportsHealth.org Copyright © 2005-2008 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc.
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