How to Tell if You Have Bronchitis

Need to know how to tell if you have bronchitis? If you're coughing and feeling poorly, but not yet ready to see a doctor, examine your symptoms to see if you have bronchitis. These symptoms and self-diagnostic questions are for acute bronchitis, which usually lasts for a short period. Chronic bronchitis, on the other hand, is ongoing and usually caused by smoking. Here is what to look for and how to tell if you have bronchitis:

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Examine your cough. Acute bronchitis involves coughing that worsens over time and lasts for about 10-14 days. It also generally worsens at night and often produces mucous (phlegm).
2. Watch for shortness of breath, and a wheezing sound when you breathe. Both are signs of acute bronchitis.
3. Pay attention to a rattling sound in your chest, another indicator that you might have bronchitis.
4. Note a slight fever or overall feeling of illness that usually accompanies bronchitis.
5. Expect chest pain, soreness, and tightness in the chest with bronchitis.
6. Look for a combination of the above symptoms. When several are present, that's basically how to know if you have bronchitis.

Tips & Warnings

• Allow yourself plenty of rest if you are sick with bronchitis.
• Take extra fluids, especially herbal teas with raw honey, to improve your condition.
• Drink homemade chicken stock to help your body fight illness.
• See a doctor if coughing produces blood or blood-streaked mucous.
• Take repeated bouts of bronchitis seriously as it may indicate a lung disorder.