Is Bronchitis Contagious Or Not?

Bronchitis is a pathology that is sometimes contagious. Its main feature is the impairment of the lower respiratory tract. The disease occurs when the bronchial tubes of the lungs become inflamed due to infections or other reasons, such as smoking or inhaling toxic gases and dust for a long time.

There are two types of bronchitis: chronic and acute. According to epidemiological studies, the first type, of a prolonged nature and with a complex approach, can affect up to 11% of the population aged between 20 and 70 years. Therefore, it is normal to wonder if bronchitis is contagious. Keep reading to find out!

Types of bronchitis

Acute bronchitis is not contagious

According to Medicina de Urgencias, a bibliographic source, over 10 million people consult a doctor every year because of this condition. We can say that it is a relatively common pathology.

Infectious agents that cause acute bronchitis are in 90% of cases viruses (adenovirus, influenza, parainfluenza, RSV, rhinovirus, bocavirus, coxsackie or herpes simplex). In the remaining 10% of cases it is pneumonic bacteria from the Streptococcus group . As you can see, this pathology has a contagious nature.

According to the reference already cited, acute bronchitis has a seasonal pattern due to its association with viral infections. They occur much more often during the winter months, because the cold and dry climate is directly correlated with a higher viral transmission.

The flu virus, for example, appears to have a basal reproduction value of about 1.3 (according to the New York Times ). This means that an infected person transmits the disease, on average, to 1.3 people. Acute bronchitis is subject to these types of epidemiological parameters.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the symptoms of acute bronchitis can be summarized as:

This variant of bronchitis heals in 10 to 14 days after the onset of the first symptoms.

Although it is linked to pathogens, acute bronchitis can also occur due to non-infectious processes (allergies, aspirations or gastroesophageal reflux). Therefore, not all cases of acute bronchitis are contagious, but most are.

The main feature of this long-term pathology is recurrent inflammation of the airways with secondary damage. As explained by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the cough manifests itself for several months. In addition, it is recurrent because it can return for two or more consecutive years.

This type of bronchitis has nothing to do with pathogens. Sources such as the Mayo Clinic claim that up to 75% of cases are related to tobacco smoking. Other risk factors could be asthma, cystic fibrosis, age or genetic predisposition. Chronic bronchitis is also a symptom of a serious condition called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

According to the US National Library of Medicine , the symptoms of chronic bronchitis are more severe than those of the acute variant and manifest over a longer period of time. Among them, we mention:

Despite the fact that this pathology is associated with non-infectious agents, this is not always the case. This type of bronchitis can also occur due to microorganisms such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis and Mycoplasma pneumoniae.

The risk of additional complications occurs especially in those who have undergone tracheostomies or in immunosuppressed patients.

How can you prevent bronchitis?

So, to answer the question of whether or not bronchitis is contagious: the acute variant is usually infectious, but the chronic one is not. Therefore, the means of prevention depend on the type of condition you are trying to protect yourself from.

The Mayo Clinic offers some general tips that we need to consider. The most important are:

Is bronchitis contagious?

Despite what many people believe, the two types of bronchitis do not differ because of the causative agent, but rather because of the duration of inflammation of the bronchial tubes. Therefore, not all acute cases occur due to pathogens and not all chronic cases occur due to smoking. There are exceptions, however. Influenza viruses always cause acute bronchitis.

Consult your doctor if you have a chest cough that lasts more than two weeks. You may have some form of bronchitis or other upper respiratory tract disease.