by University of Rochester Medical Center

Credit: Vlada Karpovich from Pexels

You likely know that cigarette smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer, but cigarette use poses other threats to your lungs as well.

Smoking and bronchitis also go hand in hand. Smoking increases your risk of developing acute bronchitis and also makes recovery from it more difficult.

What is acute bronchitis?

Acute bronchitis, also known as a chest cold, is an inflammation of the airways leading from your nose and mouth to your lungs.

It spreads easily from person to person, most often from inhaling virus particles in the air or touching contaminated surfaces. Acute bronchitis can also develop when you breathe in a lung irritant, such as cigarette smoke, secondhand smoke, or air pollution.

When you have bronchitis, the cells inside the airway get infected. Your body fights this infection by causing swelling in the bronchial tubes—the tubes that allow air to go to and from the lungs as you breathe. The swelling may also cause the airways to narrow.

Acute bronchitis symptoms

Together, the inflammation, irritation, and swelling of the airways can cause bronchitis symptoms, including:

• A cough, sometimes accompanied by mucus
• Chest soreness
• Fatigue
• Mild headache or body aches
• Shortness of breath
• Sore throat

The impact of smoking on bronchitis

Smoking can damage the lungs’ small air sacs and the airways, increasing inflammation while decreasing immune function.

If you smoke, you’re at an increased risk for developing bronchitis because your airways—also known as the bronchial tree—may be damaged. That damage can make acute bronchitis last longer.

Vaping is also a lung irritant.

Diagnosis and treatment

A medical provider can usually diagnose acute bronchitis by simply listening to your cough and discussing your symptoms. In most cases, the bronchitis heals on its own within a few weeks. Your medical provider may suggest some of these treatments that can make you feel more comfortable as you heal:

• Resting when you’re able
• Getting plenty of fluids to thin mucus and loosen congestion
• Taking cough medications, pain relievers, and mucus-loosening medications, as necessary
• Using a humidifier to help loosen mucus and soothe irritation in the airways

Quitting smoking and avoiding secondhand smoke are the most important things you can do to improve acute bronchitis symptoms.

Provided by University of Rochester Medical Center

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