There’s good news and bad news. The good news: Your bronchitis isn’t contagious. The bad news: On the other hand, it might be.
You’re coughing, tired, bringing up grossly dis-colored mucus, have the chills and maybe you’ve got a slight fever. And it’s been going on, off-and-on, for about two years.
You could have chronic bronchitis: that’s an inflammation of the lining of your bronchial tubes, those things that carry air to and from your lungs. Important parts.
The good news? You’re likely not contagious. Unless you have the contagious kind of bronchitis, (more on that in a moment), on top of your chronic bronchitis.
What to do?
The Mayo Clinic recommends that you go and visit a doctor if your cough:
- Lasts more than three weeks
- Prevents you from sleeping
- Is accompanied by fever higher than 100.4 F (38 C)
- Produces discolored mucus
- Produces blood
- Is associated with wheezing or shortness of breath
Sort of heavy stuff. You’d probably want to get this treated or looked at. Chronic bronchitis, as you may or may not know, can be caused by smoking or on-going exposure to polluted air, dust or toxic gases in your environment.
Now about the contagious stuff. Acute bronchitis is something that you have all of a sudden and it usually clears up in a few days, leaving no trace, except for a cough that could last for a few weeks. That will go away.
So, why is acute bronchitis contagious? Because it’s caused by cold and flu viruses. Get lots of rest, drink those fluids and time will heal. Antibiotics won’t kill off this type of infection so don’t bother trying them.
Talk to your doctor and see what’s up. Take care.