Everyone Healthy Library
Acute Bronchitis
Also Known As: Acute Tracheobronchitis
Condition / disease reference page from the Everyone Healthy database.
! Seek urgent medical care if warning signs appear
Some health conditions or symptoms can become urgent. Use this page for education, but seek help quickly if warning signs are present.
Get urgent medical care now if there is any severe, sudden, rapidly worsening or worrying symptom, especially:
- chest pain, pressure or pain spreading to the arm, jaw or back
- trouble breathing, blue lips, severe wheeze or choking
- stroke-like symptoms such as face drooping, arm weakness or speech trouble
- collapse, fainting, seizure, confusion or extreme drowsiness
- severe bleeding, black stools, vomiting blood or major injury
- severe allergic reaction, swelling of the face/throat or widespread rash with breathing trouble
- severe abdominal pain, severe headache, stiff neck or sudden vision change
- signs of severe dehydration, sepsis, high fever with worsening illness, or symptoms in a baby/young child that concern you
Connected health information
Explore this condition in a clear order
Condition overview
Attributes
Commonalityis common
Incidenceis approximately 1 in 21 people
Linked signs and symptoms
11Each sign/symptom opens its own page and links back to related conditions.
Linked drugs / medications
3Medication information is educational only. A doctor or pharmacist should advise whether any medicine is appropriate.
Treatments, therapies and supportive options
13Grouped by treatment type. These are educational database links, not personal treatment recommendations. Evidence labels are shown only where stored in the EH database.
Alternative and complementary therapies
6- Black Cohosh Plant (Actaea racemosa)Weakly Against(Low Evidence)
- Larch (Larix Occidentalis)No Recommendation(Low Evidence)
- Pelargonium SidoidesWeakly in Favour(Low Evidence)
- Peppermint OilNo Recommendation(Low Evidence)
- Pokeweed Antiviral Protein (PAP)No Recommendation(Very Low Evidence)
- St Johns Wort (Goatweed, Tipton Weed, Hypericum Perforatum)No Recommendation(Low Evidence)
Alternative medicine
5- Larch (Larix Occidentalis)No Recommendation(Low Evidence)
- Pelargonium SidoidesWeakly in Favour(Low Evidence)
- Peppermint OilNo Recommendation(Low Evidence)
- Pokeweed Antiviral Protein (PAP)No Recommendation(Very Low Evidence)
- St Johns Wort (Goatweed, Tipton Weed, Hypericum Perforatum)No Recommendation(Low Evidence)
Linked diagnostic tests and investigations
14These are pulled from both EH diagnostic-test link tables, including the older large test-link table.
- Alpha-1 Antitrypsin (AAT) Concentration
- Ammonia Concentration Test
- Blood Tests
- Cerebrospinal Fluid White Cell Differential
- Chest X-Ray
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
- Partial Pressure of Arterial Carbon Dioxide (PCO2, PaCO2)
- Peak Inspiratory Flow Rate (PIFR)
- Platelet Count
- Potassium Sensitivity Test
- Protein Electrophoresis (Blood, Serum Protein)
- Spirometry
- Sputum Test Culture
- White Blood Cell (WBC) Count
Biological markers/agents
11This visual map shows biological markers/agents reported as increased or decreased with this condition. These are educational relationships only; test results must be interpreted by a qualified clinician because ranges vary by lab, method, age, sex and clinical context.
Often increased
9- Alpha-1 Antintrypsin (AAT)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 90–215 mg/dLLinked diagnostic testsAlpha-1 Antitrypsin (AAT) Concentration
- Alpha-1-Globulin (Blood, Serum)Reference range exampleAll: 0.1–0.3 gm/dLLinked diagnostic testsProtein Electrophoresis (Blood, Serum Protein)
- Alpha-2-Globulin (Blood, Serum)Reference range exampleAll: 0.6–1 gm/dLLinked diagnostic testsProtein Electrophoresis (Blood, Serum Protein)
- AmmoniaReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 6–48 µmol/LLinked diagnostic testsAmmonia Concentration Test
- Beta GlobulinReference range exampleAll: 0.7–1.2 gm/dLLinked diagnostic testsProtein Electrophoresis (Blood, Serum Protein)
- Cerebrospinal Fluid LeukocytesReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 0–5 /µL; 1y - 6y: 0–20 /µLLinked diagnostic testsCerebrospinal Fluid White Cell Differential
- Partial Pressure of Arterial Carbon Dioxide (PaCO2)Reference range exampleAll: 35–45 mm HgLinked diagnostic testsPartial Pressure of Arterial Carbon Dioxide (PCO2, PaCO2)
- PlateletsReference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 150–450 109/L; Adult ( > 16y): 135–380 109/LLinked diagnostic testsPlatelet Count
- White Blood Cell (WBC)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 4.5–10.5 million/mL; Adult ( > 16y): 3.2–10 million/mLLinked diagnostic testsWhite Blood Cell (WBC) Count
Often decreased
2Introduction / full article
Acute Bronchitis
Risk Factors
Exposure to infected person, smoking
Efficacy of Alternative and Other Treatments According to GRADE* Ranking:
St John's Wort (Goatweed, tipton weed, Hypericum Perforatum) [1, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21]:
Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.
Recommendation: No recommendation (Available evidence does not support claims that St Johns Wort can help to treat bronchitis)
Grade of Evidence: low quality of evidence
Pokeweed Antiviral Protein (PAP) [1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]:
Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present. Warning! All parts of the plant, Pokeweed (Phytolacca Americana), is poisonous and should not be ingested. Thoroughly cooking the plant reduces that toxicity. The effects of the improperly prepared plant include vomiting, diarrhoea, cramps, headache, confusion, convulstions, low blood pressure, heart block and death. Only plant extracts (PAP) or thoroughly prepared plants should be ingested, and even then, under professional medical guidance.
Recommendation: no recommendation (There is insufficient evidence to support claims that PAP helps to treat bronchitis)
Grade of Evidence: very low quality of evidence
Larch (Larix Occidentalis) [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]:
Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.
Recommendation: No recommendation (Although approved for external use in Germany, available evidence does not support claims that Larch helps to treat bronchitis)
Grade of Evidence: low quality of evidence
Black Cohosh (cimicifuga Racemosa):
Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It is proposed only as a weak supportive symptomatic support, and even then, has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.
Recommendation: weakly against (Available evidence does not support claims that Black Cohosh helps to treat symptoms of bronchitis in any way. Studies have yielded mixed results)
Grade of Evidence: low quality of evidence
Larch (Larix Occidentalis) [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]:
Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.
Recommendation: No recommendation (Although approved for external use in Germany, available evidence does not support claims that Larch helps to treat bronchitis)
Grade of Evidence: low quality of evidence
Peppermint Oil [22, 23]:
Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.
Recommendation: No recommendation (There is insufficient evidence to show that peppermint oil is able to treat bronchitis despite it’s commonality as a natural therapy. More research is needed)
Grade of Evidence: Low quality of evidence
Pelagonium Sidoides [24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30]:
Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.
Recommendation: Weakly in favor (Available evidence shows that pelargonium sidoides may be able to shorten the duration and lessen the severity of congestion that occurs during bronchitis)
Grade of Evidence: Low quality of evidence
* www.gradeworkinggroup.org
Summary References
Treatments:
1. Ades T, Alteri R, Gansler T, Yeargin P, "Complete Guide to Complimentary & Alternative Cancer Therapies", American Cancer Society, Atlanta USA, 2009
2. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/larch
3. http://www.dermnetnz.org/dermatitis/plants/lichen.html
4. Blumenthal M, ed. The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Austin, TX: American Botanical Council; 1998.
5. Bown D. New Encyclopedia of Herbs & Their Uses. New York, NY: DK Publishing Inc; 2001.
6. http://www.cbif.gc.ca/pls/pp/ppack.info?p_psn=12&p_type=all&p_sci=sci&p_x=px
7. http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Phytolacca+americana
8. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/315368
9. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002874.htm
10. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/pokeweed
11. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/st-johns-wort
12. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-stjohnswort.html
13. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18843608
14. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11939866
15. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/stjohnswort/ataglance.htm
16. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/stjohnswort/sjw-and-depression.htm
17. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression/how-is-depression-detected-and-treated.shtml
18. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11939872
19. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12132963
20. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16423519
21. http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/299/22/2633
22. http://birchhillhappenings.com/bronchit.htm
23. http://mightynest.com/blog/the-essential-6-uses-for-peppermint-essential-oil
24. http://www.drugs.com/npp/pelargonium.html
25. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17288687
26. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24463034
27. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18222667
28. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18646148
29. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24146345
30. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12807338