What is bronchitis? There are two types of bronchitis: - Acute
bronchitis usually comes on quickly and gets better after 2 to 3
weeks. - Chronic bronchitis keeps coming back and can last a
long time, especially in people who smoke. Chronic bronchitis
means that you have a cough with mucus most days of the month
for 3 months of the year and for at least 2 years in a row. This
topic focuses on acute bronchitis. Both children and adults can
get acute bronchitis. Most healthy people who get acute
bronchitis get better without any problems. But it can be more
serious in older adults and children and in people with other
health problems, especially lung diseases such as asthma or
COPD. Complications can include pneumonia and repeated episodes
of severe bronchitis. What causes acute bronchitis? Acute
bronchitis is usually caused by a virus. Often a person gets
acute bronchitis a few days after having an upper respiratory
tract infection such as a cold or the flu. Sometimes acute
bronchitis is caused by bacteria. Acu