Bronchitis vs. pneumonia is a topic which confuses many people. Both of these conditions affect the lungs and they share a lot of common symptoms. However, they are different conditions and require different courses of treatment. There are many ways you can actually differentiate between the two conditions. To get a brief idea of bronchitis vs. pneumonia, it is important that you understand the difference between the two.
Bronchitis
Bronchitis is the less severe of the two diseases. Acute bronchitis is caused due to an inflammation of the bronchi. The most common symptoms of bronchitis are as follows:
- A mild fever which tends to persist
- Constant wheezing
- Coughing up yellow, clear, or green sputum
- Fatigue without doing much
- A stuffy and runny nose occurring before chest congestion takes place
- Shortness of breath which is usually accompanied by a coughing jag
- Extreme discomfort in the center of the chest due to coughing
Eight to nine cases of bronchitis out of 10 are viral. While bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics, viral infections cannot. Acute bronchitis usually lasts no more than 10 days and its symptoms will soon disappear on being treated. A cough may persist for a few weeks but that too will go away gradually. For faster relief, drink a lot of liquid (not alcohol or caffeinated drinks), use a cough syrup, and try using a humidifier.
Pneumonia
In bronchitis vs. pneumonia debate, pneumonia is the more severe and threatening. It is characterized by an inflammation of the lungs and has several symptoms similar to that of bronchitis. Here are a few of its symptoms.
- A state of confusion, especially in older people
- Shortness of breath
- An acute, sharp pain in the chest
- A mild or high fever that lasts a while
- Coughing up yellow or green mucus
- Chills accompanied with mild to severe shaking
Although the signs of bronchitis and pneumonia are quite similar, pneumonia is much more serious than acute bronchitis. The disease is often caused by a bacterium rather than a virus and this means that antibiotics can be used to treat pneumonia in most cases. While bronchitis goes away in a maximum of 10 days, bacterial pneumonia is a fast-moving disease. It needs immediate attention or it can lead to complications and can be threatening. If you visit a doctor when you have already progressed to advanced pneumonia, it may be too late.