It mostly affects people over the age of 50, but anyone can get acute bronchitis. This happens when your bronchial tubes are inflamed.

This in turn causes your body to create a lot more mucous than usual. Mucous plays an important role in protecting our bodies, but too much of the stuff can clog the airways.

There are different causes of bronchitis. Most commonly, acute (short-term) bronchitis is caused by a viral infection.

The normal viruses that trigger acute bronchitis include adenovirus, influenza virus, Para influenza virus, corona virus, Coxsackie's virus, enterovirus, rhinovirus, and respiratory syncytial virus.

Another cause of bronchitis is due to bacterial infections. Bronchitis caused by viral infections is far more common than bacterial. Some of the bacteria that cause bronchitis include streptococcus, pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Bordatella pertussis, Bordatella parapertussis, and Branhamela catarrhalis.

Mycoplasmas can also cause bronchitis, although they are rare. Mycoplasmas have properties of both bacteria and a virus, a deadly combination. When bronchitis is triggered by mycoplasmas, the symptoms come on quickly and more severely. It can be deadly. Some of the mycoplasmas known to cause bronchitis include Legionella, Chlamydia pneumoniae, and mycoplasma pneumoniae.

Fungi infections can also be one of the causes of bronchitis. Cocciodioides immitis, Blastomyces dermatitidis, Histoplasma capsulatum, Candida albicans, and Candida tropicalis are some of the more common ones. Bronchitis triggered by fungal organisms produces effects that are more mild and less serious.

Pollen, dust, chemicals, smoke, pollutants, and second-hand smoke can also bring on a case of bronchitis. These causes usually trigger rather mild symptoms of bronchitis, though.

If bronchitis is caused by environmental factors, you can get treatment to help you deal with the issue. You can improve your environment y cleansing it of irritants; this will relieve some of the symptoms you're experiencing. You can also decongest your stuffed-up airways by taking cough suppressants meant for this purpose.

Hopefully, learning about these causes of bronchitis has informed you why you may be experiencing bronchial problems.