What Kind Of Antibiotics Do They Give You For Bronchitis

People At Risk Of Bacterial Infections

Antibiotics may also be recommended for people who are more vulnerable to the harmful effects of infection. This may include:

• people aged over 75 years
• babies less than 72 hours old with a confirmed bacterial infection, or a higher than average risk of developing one
• people with heart failure
• people who have to take insulin to control their diabetes
• people with a weakened immune system either because of an underlying health condition such as HIV infection or as a side effect of certain treatments, such as chemotherapy

What Helps Bronchial Inflammation

In this manner, what is the fastest way to cure bronchitis?

Relief for Acute Bronchitis

Subsequently, question is, how can I naturally get rid of bronchial tubes? When you have bronchitis, it’s important to loosen the mucus in your chest so you can cough it up and breathe more easily. The best way to thin mucus is to drink plenty of fluids like water, diluted fruit juices, herbal tea, and clear soups. Aim for eight to 12 glasses a day. Try to stay away from alcohol and caffeine.

Subsequently, one may also ask, what is the best medicine for bronchitis?

Taking over-the-counter medications such as aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen can help relieve symptoms of bronchitis, such as fever, headache, and aches and pains. Aspirin should not be given to children or teenagers, unless advised by a doctor, due to the associated risk of Reye’s syndrome.

Does ibuprofen help bronchial inflammation?

How Can You Treat Acute Bronchitis Without Antibiotics

Most cases of acute bronchitis go away in 2 to 3 weeks, but some may last 4 weeks. Home treatment to relieve symptoms is usually all that you need. Here are some things you can try that may help you feel better:

• Relieve your cough by drinking fluids, using cough drops, and avoiding things like smoke that can irritate your lungs.
• Get enough rest so that your body has the energy it needs to fight the virus. You’ll feel better sooner if you rest more than usual while you have acute bronchitis.
• Try over-the counter medicines such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or aspirin to relieve fever and body aches. Do not give aspirin to anyone younger than 20. It has been linked to Reye syndrome, a serious illness. Be safe with medicines. Read and follow all instructions on the label.

Your doctor may recommend that you take antibiotics for acute bronchitis if:

• You are at risk for pneumonia.
• Your condition hasn’t gotten better in 14 to 21 days.
• You have COPD, asthma, cystic fibrosis, or heart failure.

Don’t Miss: Can You Take Ibuprofen With Uti Antibiotics

Rest And Fluid Intake

Since bronchitis is sometimes caused by irritation or as a secondary condition to flu or cold, you should not be surprised when your doctor recommends that you just take a few days of rest. This will prevent you from exposure to the factors like dust, chemicals, and viruses. Increasing your water intake will also be recommended so that your body can recover faster and improve your immunity levels.

Warning Signs And Side Effects

The most common side effects associated with using IV antibiotics include rash, itch, diarrhea. Rarely the medications can cause abnormal kidney or liver laboratory test results. Your doctor may need to monitor for these side effects and adjusts the antibiotic when necessary. However, it is crucial to be aware of warning signs related to receiving IV therapy, including:

• Allergic reactions: itching, swelling of the throat, tongue, rash, etc
• Swelling of your vein or discoloration around the skin
• Numbness or tingling in the arm of the PICC line
• Air embolism
• If an IV comes out of your vein, first put pressure over the opening where the IV was until the bleeding stops and call your home health care agency or doctor right away.

• Redness, swelling or bruising at the site where the needle enters the vein
• Pain
• Fever over 100.5 °F

• Any breathing problems

Don’t Miss: What Antibiotics Are Used For Periodontal Disease

How Do I Know Whether Its Acute Or Chronic

First, itâs important to figure out a time line.

If you have a cough and breathing problems that have lasted for months or years, it might be chronic bronchitis. This is a long-term health problem that needs ongoing treatment.

Some people with very serious chronic bronchitis have it their entire lives. Others can successfully treat it. Youâre more likely to get it if you smoke.

This usually requires a combination of medications and lifestyle changes. Important ways you can improve your lung health include:

• Quit smoking ask your doctor about therapies that might help.
• Avoid things that can irritate your lungs, such as secondhand smoke, air pollution, and dust.
• Wash your hands a lot to lower the odds of infection.

But those steps are important if you think you have acute bronchitis, too.

To learn other ways to treat your cough, see your doctor to find out whatâs causing it.

What Matters Most To You

Your personal feelings are just as important as the medical facts. Think about what matters most to you in this decision, and show how you feel about the following statements.

Reasons to take antibiotics

• More…

Disclaimer Individual and family medical and dental insurance plans are insured by Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company , Cigna HealthCare of Arizona, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of Georgia, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of Illinois, Inc., and Cigna HealthCare of North Carolina, Inc. Group health insurance and health benefit plans are insured or administered by CHLIC, Connecticut General Life Insurance Company , or their affiliates . Group Universal Life insurance plans are insured by CGLIC. Life , accident, critical illness, hospital indemnity, and disability plans are insured or administered by Life Insurance Company of North America, except in NY, where insured plans are offered by Cigna Life Insurance Company of New York . All insurance policies and group benefit plans contain exclusions and limitations. For availability, costs and complete details of coverage, contact a licensed agent or Cigna sales representative. This website is not intended for residents of New Mexico.

Selecting these links will take you away from Cigna.com to another website, which may be a non-Cigna website. Cigna may not control the content or links of non-Cigna websites. Details

Read Also: Can You Take Antibiotics For Bv While On Your Period

Different Types Of Antibiotics

Of the 100 plus antibiotic substances produced naturally or synthetically, very few have been proven safe and effective. There are various ways to classify antibiotics. One way is to segregate antibiotics on the basis of their action on bacteria, which is broad spectrum or narrow spectrum. Antibiotics that work on infections caused by a wide range of bacteria, come under broad spectrum, while those that work on specific types of bacteria come under the narrow spectrum. However, in this article we will have a look at the classification of antibiotics depending on the chemical structure.

The classes of antibiotics categorized on the basis of chemical structure are as follows:

• Penicillins
• Polypeptides

Missing A Dose Of Antibiotics

If you forget to take a dose of your antibiotics, take that dose as soon as you remember and then continue to take your course of antibiotics as normal.

But if it’s almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Don’t take a double dose to make up for a missed one.

There’s an increased risk of side effects if you take 2 doses closer together than recommended.

Don’t Miss: When Does A Uti Go Away Without Antibiotics

But Sometimes Antibiotics For Sinus Infections Are Needed

So how does one judge when it is appropriate to prescribe antibiotics for a sinus infection? There are several sets of official guidelines, which are all similar. When a patient has thick, colorful nasal discharge and/or facial pressure or pain for at least 10 days, they meet criteria for antibiotic treatment. If a patient has had those symptoms, but the symptoms seemed to start improving and then got worse again, then even if its been less than 10 days, they meet criteria for antibiotic treatment.

The authors, however, also suggest that doctors discuss watchful waiting with patients and explain that most sinus infections clear up on their own in one to two weeks, and its a safe option to hold off on antibiotics. The symptoms can then be treated with a cocktail of over-the-counter medications and supportive care, like nasal saline irrigation, nasal steroid sprays, decongestants, and pain medications.

Of course, many patients expect and demand antibiotics for sinus infections, and even those who are open to watchful waiting may hear about the rare but possible complications of things like, oh, brain abscess, and opt to treat.

In the case of my patient above, she met criteria for treatment. She weighed the watchful waiting option against the potential risks of antibiotics for her sinus infection, and chose the prescription. I can tell you from very close follow-up that she improved quickly, though in truth, we will never really know if she would have gotten better anyway.

What Kind Of Coughdoes Need Antibiotics

Unlike acute bronchitis, pneumonia, which can also cause a long-term cough, may require antibiotic therapy. Pneumonia can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi, and can also be a serious complication in patients with severe COVID-19. Pneumonia looks very similar to the flu, though, so youll have to see a doctor to find out whether you need antibiotics. . You can read more about the differences between COVID-19 and the flu here.

The presence of a fever may be a clue that your cough is either caused by the flu or pneumonia rather than acute bronchitis. Symptoms of the flu and pneumonia also include the following :

• Body ache

Don’t Miss: How To Prevent C Diff When On Antibiotics

Summary Of Main Results

We found mixed results across studies, with some suggesting marginal benefits for antibiotics, which are however of doubtful clinical significance. The inclusion of the largest multicentre study of the effectiveness of antibiotics in people with lower respiratory tract infections strengthens the evidence and also highlights a statistically significant increase in adverse events in the antibiotictreated groups. However, it is possible that older patients with multimorbidity may not have been recruited to trials, so the evidence guiding decisionmaking in this group of patients is less certain.

Breathing In Irritant Substances

Bronchitis can also be triggered by breathing in irritant substances, such as smog, chemicals in household products or tobacco smoke.

Smoking is the main cause of chronic bronchitis. It can affect people who inhale secondhand smoke, as well as those who smoke themselves.

People with chronic bronchitis often develop another smoking-related lung disease called emphysema, where the air sacs inside the lungs become damaged, causing shortness of breath.

If you smoke, try to stop straight away as smoking aggravates bronchitis and increases your risk of developing emphysema.

Stopping smoking while you have bronchitis can also be the perfect opportunity to quit altogether.

Recommended Reading: What Is The Best Antibiotic For Dogs With Skin Infection

Types Of Antibiotics For Pneumonia

There are multiple types of antibiotics that work in slightly different ways. Some are more commonly used to treat pneumonia than others based on things like:

• The bacteria causing infection
• The severity of the infection
• If youre in a patient group at greatest risk from pneumonia

The types of antibiotics that your doctor might typically prescribe for pneumonia include the following:

Antibiotics prescribed for children with pneumonia include the following:

• Infants, preschoolers, and school-aged children with suspected bacterial pneumonia may be treated with amoxicillin.
• Children with suspected atypical pneumonia can be treated with macrolides.
• Children allergic to penicillin will be treated with other antibiotics as needed for the specific pathogen.
• Hospitalized, immunized children can be treated with ampicillin or penicillin G.
• Hospitalized children and infants who are not fully vaccinated may be treated with a cephalosporin.
• Hospitalized children with suspected M. pneumoniae or C. pneumoniae infection may be treated with combination therapy of a macrolide and a beta-lactam antibiotic .
• Hospitalized children with suspected S. aureus infections might be treated with a combination of Vancocin or clindamycin and a beta-lactam.

Antibiotics For Cough From Other Causes

While its not likely that youll be prescribed antibiotics for bronchitis, it is possible that youll need antibiotics for an incessant cough caused by another bacteria.

An infection called whooping cough is caused by the bacteria Bordetella pertussis and can cause a lingering cough. Luckily, its prevented in most cases by the pertussis vaccine, which has reduced whooping cough infections drastically.

If you havent been vaccinated against whooping cough , its possible a cough could be caused by the pertussis bacteria.

The symptoms of pertussis are very similar to those of bronchitis. They include initial cold-like symptoms, including:

• A sniffly, runny nose
• A mild, occasional cough
• Unusual pauses in breathing

In pertussis, especially in those who havent been vaccinated, these symptoms worsen and develop into unusual coughing fits with an accompanying high-pitched whoop sound. This usually happens one to two weeks after the initial infection.

These coughing fits can cause exhaustion and vomiting, and can last a long timeup to 10 weeks or more.

Pertussis infections are treated with antibiotics, and early treatment is essential to ease symptoms and prevent the spread of the disease.

Also, try to stay away from others, especially those too young to be vaccinated. Whooping cough is extremely dangerous to infants.

Antibiotics commonly prescribed to treat pertussis include:

• Zithromax
• Robimycin

Also Check: Day 3 Of Antibiotics For Uti

Antibiotics To Prevent Infection

Antibiotics are sometimes given as a precaution to prevent, rather than treat, an infection. This is known as antibiotic prophylaxis.

Antibiotic prophylaxis is normally recommended if you’re having surgery on a certain part of the body which carries a high risk of infection or where infection could lead to devastating effects.

For example, it may be used if you’re going to have:

• some types of eye surgery such as cataract surgery or glaucoma surgery
• joint replacement surgery

Your surgical team will be able to tell you if you require antibiotic prophylaxis.

What Works To Treat Acute Bronchitis

Get plenty of rest and drink lots of fluids. A non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug like ibuprofen , , or may help ease some of the chest discomfort that comes with acute bronchitis, as well as headache.

However, inhalers, cough suppressants, and decongestants may not be as effective. Studies show that inhalers like arent helpful for treating acute bronchitis. Likewise, prescription cough suppressants like and codeine cough syrups may work but not very well. And over-the-counter medications like , , and were found in studies to be ineffective for acute coughs.

Actually, honey suppresses cough better than over-the-counter meds in children by forming a soothing film over irritated throats.

Don’t Miss: What Antibiotics Are Used To Treat Bacterial Vagi

What Are Bronchitis And Covid

Acute bronchitis and COVID-19 are both respiratory illnesses. They can have some of the same symptoms.

It’s important to know the difference between these two illnesses.

Acute bronchitis is sometimes referred to as a chest cold. It can develop after an upper respiratory infection , which is usually called the common cold.

Bronchitis happens when the bronchial tubes that carry oxygen to your lungs become inflamed and irritated. These irritated airways then produce excess mucus and cause you to cough. Acute bronchitis typically will get better on its own. It can develop into pneumonia when not properly cared for.

COVID-19 is a new type of virus that has caused a global pandemic.

There are many different types of coronaviruses. Some cause mild illnesses such as colds. Some cause more severe diseases such as severe acute respiratory syndrome and Middle East respiratory syndrome .

COVID-19 is a respiratory illness that is spread from person to person. Symptoms usually appear within two weeks of exposure. You can spread COVID-19 to others even if you don’t have any symptoms yourself.

How To Feel Better

Below are some ways you can feel better while your body fights off acute bronchitis:

• Get plenty of rest.
• Use a clean humidifier or cool mist vaporizer.
• Use saline nasal spray or drops to relieve a stuffy nose.
• For young children, use a rubber suction bulb to clear mucus.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist about over-the-counter medicines that can help you feel better. Always use over-the-counter medicines as directed. Remember, over-the-counter medicines may provide temporary relief of symptoms, but they will not cure your illness.

You May Like: Non Prescription Antibiotics For Uti

Personal Stories About Taking Antibiotics For Acute Bronchitis

These stories are based on information gathered from health professionals and consumers. They may be helpful as you make important health decisions.

I was diagnosed with acute bronchitis after having the flu. Although I know people who have used antibiotics for this condition, my doctor told me that antibiotics would not be effective for acute bronchitis caused by a viral infection. She suggested I take cough medicine for my cough if necessary. This made sense to me.

Paula, age 26

I have asthma. When I was diagnosed with acute bronchitis, my doctor felt that because of the asthma, and my age, that I was at risk for pneumonia. He suggested a course of antibiotics, and I agreed.

Josef, age 67

When I was diagnosed with acute bronchitis, I thought I’d get some antibiotics and that would be the end of it. My doctor explained that this might shorten my cough by a day but really would do no more. One day is not worth the hassle and cost of antibiotics, so I just used cough medicine.

Theo, age 46

I guess acute bronchitis usually goes away in a couple of weeks, so my doctor suggested I treat my symptoms at home. But it’s been about a month and I’m still coughing and feeling bad. We are going to try some antibiotics.