The first thing to know is what is bronchitis. When the airways become swollen or irritated, you have acute bronchitis. This condition, bronchitis almost always causes coughing and a few other respiratory problems. People mostly refer to bronchitis as a chest cold. This condition is most frequent in the winter time. Because this season is mostly known for colds or for the flue, this is the reason why acute bronchitis is common in the winter. Bronchitis first start when at first you have had an upper respiratory problem. Children are more at risk of developing acute bronchitis than adults are. The illness, either flu or the cold starts to spread from the nose and your throat to the airways, thus causing bronchitis. Acute bronchitis is not a very serious illness, unlike chronic bronchitis. The maximum period that one can have acute bronchitis is about two weeks and the minimum is as less as five days. However, short the period of time that you can have bronchitis, coughing, which is the trade mark for



bronchitis can last even after the illness has been cured.

The main reason that one develops acute bronchitis is because of an infection. Almost all infections that then lead to acute bronchitis are caused by a virus. Acute bronchitis can also be caused by bacteria or a fungus, but these are very rare cases of bronchitis infection. Furthermore, you can also develop acute bronchitis if you are exposed daily to chemicals that get into your body through air. Smoke, dust or vapors can also cause acute bronchitis. If you live in an area that is polluted, the risk of developing acute bronchitis is higher and you are also more at risk of recurrence of bronchitis. There is also another problem if the child or person lives around people that smoke, his/ her chances of developing acute bronchitis are much higher.

Your child is also more at risk of developing acute bronchitis, if she/ he also suffers from other medical problems. The main problems that one can have and thus increase the risk of bronchitis are allergies, asthma, heart problems and recurring problems with tonsils. Children who are born early, premature babies also have an increased risk of developing acute bronchitis. vaccinations against germs may be a helpful way to decrease the risk of developing acute bronchitis, especially in children. Be also very careful not to smoke around the child.