What Makes Bronchitis Contagious?

All forms of bronchitis are not contagious. What makes it contagious can be clear if we learn about the basic issues concerning chronic and acute bronchitis progression.

Chronic bronchitis is the inflammation of mucosal membranes and bronchial tubes. Excessive mucus is produced as response of bronchial infection and irritation. This excess mucus reduces the amount of air or oxygen going to lungs as a result normal functioning of respiratory system is severely affected. The common symptoms of chronic bronchitis are shortness in breathing, coughing, wheezing, chest pain, mild fever and fatigue.

Recurrent time persistent symptoms of chronic bronchitis intensify its progression. Common characteristics of chronic bronchitis are susceptibility to respiratory viral and bacterial infections and little responsiveness to medications consumed to treat those symptoms. Compared to sufferers of acute bronchitis, patients diagnosed for chronic bronchitis do not respond effectively to antibiotics treatments.

Sufferers in their incipient stages of chronic bronchitis perceive symptoms more during nights. Due to mucus obstruction and inflamed respiratory tract breathing become very difficult and painful. Persistent ‘smokers cough’ also causes disturbed sleep which directly affects the productivity of such people during day. Prolonged untreated bronchitis may also develop other complications like emphysema and pneumonia.

Though bronchitis is common among cigarette or tobacco smokers but smoking alone cannot be regarded as main cause for chronic bronchitis. Chronic bronchitis is also caused due to excessive exposure to airborne pollutants like dust and other toxic chemicals. But no doubt smoking greatly contributes bacterial proliferation and slows down the process of healing the damaged respiratory organs aggravates the inflammation. As time goes on, patients also start experiencing poor blood oxygenation and hypoventilation resulting in shallow breathing.

More often than not acute bronchitis is caused due to infections in lungs. Ten percent of such infections are bacterial while 90% are viral. Acute bronchitis attack person recurrently which irritates and weakens the bronchial airways as result it gradually transform into chronic bronchitis.

It is also found that people living or working in industrial areas run a higher risk of getting afflicted with bronchitis. Grain handlers, metal molders, cola makers etc and people with continuously exposed to dust and toxic chemicals like sulfur dioxide etc are prone to get affected easily. However such asthmatic bronchitis is not contagious.

Bronchitis is contagious if the bacteria and virus causing bronchitis are transmitted to another person directly or indirectly. The fluid from infected person’s nose or mouth can spread across by his coughing sneezing or sharing of utensils like drinking cups, glasses handkerchiefs etc.

Bronchitis causes by viral cold is not contagious as such virus finish its cycle within few days. But patients show symptoms longer than ten days it a matter of worry and there are strong chances that such bronchitis is contagious. Be careful when your colleague at office or any fiend suffering with bronchitis sneezes or coughs very near to you and never share any utensils from patients suffering with any viral or bacterial infections.