There are ten simple steps that you could follow to treat bronchitis successfully.

1. Take initiative to lessen your exposure to irritants and toxins. Stop smoking and avoid breathing secondhand smoke. Stay inside your house when the presence of air pollution is very high. Wear face masks to keep you protected from harmful chemicals and other irritants.

2. Use vaporizer or humidifier to keep the air moisturized. This will aid in loosening secretions for you to breathe easier.

3. Place a bottle with hot water on your back or chest. A moist, warm cloth can be also utilized. This reduces inflammation and is very useful when applied at night before you sleep.

4. Cover your mouth and nose with your scarf especially when you plan to go out in a cold atmosphere. Keep in mind that cold weather can aggravate bronchitis.

5. Avoid the use of cough suppressants. Coughing is needed to take out secretions. Suppressants can be utilized at night.

6. Take medicines as prescribed. If you take antibiotics to treat bacterial infection, then take its entire dosage. As much as possible complete the entire duration even if you already feel better.

7. Use inhalers and aerosols as prescribed. Never use larger dosage or frequently use it more than what is directed to prevent side effects.

8. Seek the advice of a general practitioner or naturopathic doctor regarding dietary supplements including echinacea, goldenseal, zinc, colloidal silver, vitamins A and C, and coenzyme Q10.

9. Improve your nutrition and diet. Drink lots of fluids including soups, herbal teas, and water.

10. Reduce or eliminate intake of foods with higher risks of mucus formation. It includes white flour, sugar, processed foods, dairy products, and foods causing allergic reactions.

People with bronchitis have also learned successful treatment based from their experiences.

- Some people find it effective in cleaning their mucus by ingesting vinegar with cucumber. It helps in killing bacteria in the lungs and excretes mucus out of the mouth.

- Charcoal slushes. Mix 4-6 teaspoon of charcoal powder with water enough to make a half-thick slush. The mixture is gritty when you drink it but it does not have any foul taste. Drink the dosage at 4 to 6 hours intervals while awake. Bacteria and germs will be absorbed by the charcoal and allow you to eliminate it in the bathroom.

- Use frankincense, thyme, and oregano oils. Give the patient 2 drops of frankincense oil, in the morning, in the afternoon, and in the evening for three days. Mix this oil with the Ciaga’s organic juice. For another three days, oregano and thyme are mixed in the same manner. Pleurisy root can be an alternative. This can relive symptoms such as breath shortness thus ventilation is not anymore needed.

- Breathing steam. Boil water with aromatic herbs in a pot. Turn off the stove. Use a towel to wrap your head similar to a mini-steamed bath then breathe in the steam by lowering your face on the pot carefully. It is okay if you do it upon intervals. Cooling down your face before returning. Repeat this process for several times in a day. Your phlegm will loosen because of the steam.

- In some cases, pounding the back with firm gentle strokes while the patient is lying down on the bed with belly down while keeping the upper parts of the body in hanging position helps. This is helpful in breaking-up or dislodging the phlegm. However, this procedure is not comfortable and unsafe but if done correctly, the mucous plugs can be taken out through coughing.

If ever the symptoms last for more than one week, the mucus turns green, rust-colored, or yellow, severity of cough increases, and develop chest pain when coughing, then it is advised to consult a doctor. It is also recommended to ask a physician and other health care providers before engaging in activities related to diet and health. This information is not however intended to become alternatives for medical treatment or advice.

Inflammation of the respiratory tract that includes the trachea and the bronchus is known as bronchitis. This may be caused by viral or bacterial infection or constant exposure to pollutants (such as smoking and air pollution). There are two kinds, acute and chronic bronchitis.

Acute bronchitis usually takes place right after an infection of the upper respiratory tract has occurred like a sinus infection or the common cold. As for chronic bronchitis, there is no exact microorganism that can be pinpointed as a cause but smoking and environmental pollutants are believed to be the major culprits which then may be followed by bacterial or viral infection as the immune system becomes vulnerable.

Bronchitis is the swelling of the bronchial tubes, otherwise known as the airways. These airways are the windpipes that directly connect to the lungs. Bronchitis happens when there is an irritation that occurs in the bronchial tubes. Next to the irritation, the formation of thick mucus will soon follow. Hence, the air passage will be blocked by the mucus, leading to difficulty in breathing. Bronchitis can be identified into two types: acute and chronic. The acute bronchitis is normally an illness that lasts for a short period of time. Usually, this is caused by severe cold. But most often, this is triggered by the viral infections. Acute bronchitis is characterized by the pain in the middle of the chest, cough that comes with green sputum. Fever might also happen, and a slight difficulty in breathing might also occur.

The Chronic bronchitis on the other hand is identified with a cough that produces mucus. And this lasts for longer period of time as compared to the acute bronchitis. The sufferers of bronchitis are also identified to suffer from different level of breathing difficulty. These sufferers may also have the possibility to attain lung infections sometimes. Hence, the breathing difficulty is worsen. There are certain occasions where chronic bronchitis is termed as “chronic obstructive lung disease” and “chronic obstructive airways disease.” From the terms themselves, the problem can already be identified—difficulty in air circulation that goes in and out of the lungs. Now, the question comes, is bronchitis contagious? The answer is yes. Bronchitis is extremely contagious. The virus can be transmitted by the means of cough, sneeze, and yes, even by simply touching the things that has been touched by the person infected.

Bronchitis, basically, is the swelling of the bronchia, thus, it is not contagious. However, as the bacteria starts to form, the disease then is contagious the moment the bacteria was emitted into the air. In fact, there are already several affected people who confessed that they had the disease when they had a close contact with the infected person. Now, the question is how long is bronchitis contagious? According to the medical experts, the length of time of the disease contagiousness actually depends on the cause and type of the person’s bronchitis. For a person who suffers from bronchitis, it is suggested for him to visit and consult to a medical specialist of respiratory and pulmonary to assure whether he is already contagious and until when will it last. It is advisable for the infected person to consult to a medical specialist when bronchitis tends to occur, if not, it may possibly lead to pneumonia. Both the acute and chronic bronchitis have the threat to become contagious. Even the healthy person is not safe from the attacks of acute bronchitis. This is because of the viral infection. These viral infections can be transmitted from one person to other through indirect and direct contact.

However, the spread of bronchitis can still be avoided. The affected person only needs to maintain a healthy hygiene by regularly washing his hands and by using hand sanitizers afterwards. Most importantly, the affected person should cover his mouth whenever he is coughing. Hence, the possibility of transmitting the disease is reduced. People who suffer from asthma may also develop an acute bronchitis. Such circumstance reduces the risk of acute bronchitis to be contagious. It is the effect whenever the acute bronchitis acts as a complication of a certain disease. To totally eliminate the risk of spreading the disease, it is best to cure it. Antibiotic are not regarded as an effective way to treat acute bronchitis. This is because bronchitis is caused by viral infection. Only an ample amount of rest, an extra liquids intake, and a non-prescription medicine for cough are the suggested effective treatment for acute bronchitis. The antibiotic are only prescribe by the doctors whenever there is the presence of bacterial infection. Antibiotic will then serve to lessen the risk of secondary infection. For the asthmatics, the doctor may recommend a medication for asthma, most likely an inhaler. These medications will widen the contracted lung airways. More resources on “Bronchitis Contagious“.