This can be acute or chronic.

• Essentially bronchitis means inflammation of the breathing tubes of the lungs.

Acute bronchitis is characterized by cough and sometimes difficulty breathing.

• This occurs during an attack of an acute viral illness such as the common cold or influenza.

• Bacteria are rarely implicated. Therfore, antibiotics may not work.

• Viruses cause the majority of the cases.

• However development of acute bronchitis in patients with chronic lung diseases such as COPD may cause severe illness requiring hospitalization.

Chronic Bronchits is a type of COPD and is characterized by cough that lasts 3 months or more per year for at least 2 years. This is mostly seen in smokers.