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Get help treating your inflamed lungs

	If you have bronchitis, you won't usually need to see your doctor. However, if you have a high fever, shortness of breath, or bad chest pains, you should make an appointment with your physician. ConsumerReportsHealth.org can help you find treatments for bronchitis that work well.
	Subscribe to ConsumerReportsHealth.org today and find out which medications rate best for treating bronchitis.

Consumer Reports Health explains the best research, expert evidence, and advice about bronchitis, so that you can understand your treatment options and decide which are right for you.

Key points for people with bronchitis

• Almost all cases of bronchitis are caused by infection from a virus.
• Bronchitis that lasts up to three weeks is called acute bronchitis.
• Chronic bronchitis is diagnosed when you cough up mucus every day for at least three months, two years in a row.
• Bronchitis usually clears up on its own after a few weeks, but some medications including painkillers, cough suppressants, and antibiotics may reduce your symptoms.
• If you have asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or heart disease, bronchitis may make your condition worse.

Every year about 5 in 100 people get bronchitis--mostly in autumn or winter. Bronchitis often starts as you're just getting over another illness, such as flu. The main symptom of bronchitis is a bad cough caused by inflammation in the lining of your lungs' airways. You may cough up yellow or green mucus, wheeze and feel short of breath. If you have bronchitis, you don't need to see your doctor unless you're experiencing fever, chest pains, or you're feeling very out of breath.

Our concise condition report and Treatment Ratings table will help you and your doctor decide which bronchitis treatment is right for you. As a Consumer Reports Health subscriber, we'll also help you sort through the best research and the most effective treatments for over 100 conditions and illnesses that may affect you and your family.