Illustration by Joshua Seong.
Bronchitis and pneumonia can both cause coughing, chest congestion, and chills.
The causes of bronchitis vs. pneumonia also differ.
Illustration by Joshua Seong. © Verywell, 2017.
Bronchitis is usually triggered by a virus.
Pneumonia can be viral, bacterial, or fungal.
This, of course, impacts treatment: Bronchitis is usually left to run its course.
Get our printable guide for your next healthcare provider’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
Pneumonia, on the other hand, may require prescription medications, and, in some cases, hospitalization.
Symptoms of Bronchitis vs.
Pneumonia
Pneumonia and bronchitis have similar symptoms, but critical differences as well.
Here is a side-by-side comparison of bronchitis and pneumonia symptoms.
Typically bronchitis is viral, meaning that antibiotics are not helpful in treating it.
If you’ve beendiagnosed with bronchitisand your symptoms worsen or change significantly, you may have developed another infection.
Contact your healthcare provider to be seen again if this happens.
Treating Bronchitis
Acute bronchitis is most often triggered by a virus, so antibiotics are rarely prescribed.
Antibiotics are ineffective against viruses, and using them to treat a viral infection only leads to antibiotic resistance.
Occasionally, bronchitis is triggered by bacteria.
More often, however,treating acute bronchitissimply means finding relief from the symptoms until the illness resolves.
And although acute bronchitis is bothersome, it is typically not as severe as pneumonia.
Get our printable guide for your next healthcare provider’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
People with pneumonia typically feel much worse than a person with bronchitis would.
The most common throw in of pneumonia in adults is bacterial pneumonia.
It can cause severe illness and is a leading cause of death among Americans.
The CDC reports that approximately 150,000 Americans are hospitalized yearly with pneumococcal pneumoniathe most common pop in of pneumonia.
Thousands die from it as well.
Getting adequate rest is essential when you have pneumonia.
It is a severe illness that takes time to heal and recover from.
A Word From Verywell
How to know if your cough needs antibiotics is a very common question.
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