“Can I treat bronchitis without antibiotics?”
I have bronchitis. Can I treat bronchitis without antibiotics?
3 Answers
Smoking cessation . Bronchitis can be an asthma presentation ( corticosteroids). Cannabis is worse than cigarettes .
The vast majority of cases of bronchitis are caused by viruses, and consequently antibiotics will not help. Indications that bacteria may be the cause would be high fevers, producing blood with the cough, or being delirious (alteration of consciousness, not making sense when talking, sleeping all the time). If a person is ill enough to go to the hospital, it is a good indication that antibiotics may be needed.
Hi, I'd prefer to answer a revised version of the question to state, "Can bronchitis be treated without antibiotics?" Rather than "Can I treat...", as I would not recommend that you self-diagnose or treat for any serious medical condition. Best to leave that job to the experts.
It would kinda be like if I asked, "can I fix the transmission in my car?" The answer would prob be something like, theoretically, can someone fix their transmission, Yes. But should you (as in "me") fix a cars' transmission? The answer would be a resounding "hell no". That is, not if I wish to drive the thing ever again. But I digress.
But back to the question: a short and sweet answer is that yes, bronchitis can be treated without antibiotics. The more nuanced response however, is that although the vast majority (~90%) of acute bronchitis is caused by viral illness, there is still the approximate 10% or so that can be bacterial.
So, by far most cases of bronchitis are treated with "suppportive care" (i.e. medicines and other interventions aimed to reduce symptoms while the body takes care of its own healing process). Rather than with the use of antibiotic.
It would kinda be like if I asked, "can I fix the transmission in my car?" The answer would prob be something like, theoretically, can someone fix their transmission, Yes. But should you (as in "me") fix a cars' transmission? The answer would be a resounding "hell no". That is, not if I wish to drive the thing ever again. But I digress.
But back to the question: a short and sweet answer is that yes, bronchitis can be treated without antibiotics. The more nuanced response however, is that although the vast majority (~90%) of acute bronchitis is caused by viral illness, there is still the approximate 10% or so that can be bacterial.
So, by far most cases of bronchitis are treated with "suppportive care" (i.e. medicines and other interventions aimed to reduce symptoms while the body takes care of its own healing process). Rather than with the use of antibiotic.
