Is bronchitis contagious for others or not
The content of the article:
- Why do different types of bronchitis develop?
- How bronchitis is transmitted from person to person
- Features of the spread of chronic bronchitis
- Video
Is bronchitis contagious or not? This issue worries many people, because the disease is widespread, and many people would prefer to take preventive measures in order not to become infected with it. Is it possible? Is bronchitis contagious for children? Is bronchitis transmitted by airborne droplets? Let us examine these issues in detail.
During coughing and sneezing, the causative agent of bronchitis is released into the environment
Why do different types of bronchitis develop?
Bronchitis is an inflammation of the trachea and bronchi caused by infectious (viruses, bacteria, fungi) or non-infectious (allergens, smoke and dust particles, radiation) causes. Depending on what exactly caused the development of the inflammatory process in the bronchi, the following types of bronchitis are distinguished:
- Viral. It is caused by influenza viruses, adenoviruses, respiratory syncytial viruses. The development of the disease is usually preceded by ARVI symptoms: general weakness, sore throat, cough, nasal congestion, sneezing. The cough is dry at first, but gradually becomes moist with mucous expectoration.
- Bacterial. Its pathogens are pathogenic bacteria (streptococci, pneumococci). The disease in most cases develops as a complication of viral bronchitis, the so-called second wave of infection, but it can also be an independent pathology. Bacterial bronchitis is characterized by severe intoxication, cough with mucopurulent or purulent sputum.
- Allergic. In this case, allergens are the cause of the inflammatory process in the bronchi. They can enter the patient's body with the current of inhaled air or through the gastrointestinal tract (food allergens). Frequently recurring allergic bronchitis can develop into bronchial asthma over time.
According to the duration of the course, bronchitis can be acute (lasts no more than 1 month), subacute and chronic. Chronic bronchitis means a chronic inflammatory process in the bronchi, exacerbations of which last at least three months for two years.
There is a whole list of factors, the impact of which on the human body significantly increases the risk of developing bronchitis. These include:
- hereditary factors - congenital anomalies in the structure of the airways, allergic predisposition;
- the presence of concomitant pathology - chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), congestion in the pulmonary circulation, chronic foci of infection (sinusitis, tonsillitis, caries);
- physical factors - smoke, dust, radiation, sudden temperature changes, dampness, cold air;
- chemical factors - the presence of pollutants (pollutants) in the atmospheric air, for example, tobacco smoke, vapors of alkalis or acids, chlorine, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide;
- bad habits - alcohol abuse, drug addiction, substance abuse, smoking.
Thus, bronchitis can be caused by both infectious and non-infectious causes.
How bronchitis is transmitted from person to person
The route of transmission of acute viral and bacterial bronchitis is airborne. In these cases, the pathogen is in the patient's respiratory tract, and during coughing and sneezing in the form of an aerosol, it is released into the environment, from where it enters the mucous membrane of the airways of other people with the air flow at the time of inhalation. Thus, infectious forms of bronchitis can be contracted from another person.
Is bronchitis contagious to others if its development is triggered by an allergic reaction? There is no definite answer to this question. Let us explain why.
In allergic (atopic, asthmatic) bronchitis, inflammation of the bronchi is provoked by exposure to certain substances, to which the person has an increased sensitivity. These substances are called allergens. They can be anything, but most often they are:
- pollen of plants;
- bird feather;
- pet hair;
- household dust;
- household chemicals.
If the development of allergic bronchitis is associated with such allergens, then this form of the disease does not pose an epidemiological danger. However, in some cases, pathogenic bacteria or fungi, as well as their metabolic products, act as an allergen. In other words, sometimes infectious agents are the cause of allergic inflammation, in these cases, allergic bronchitis will be contagious for the people around the patient, the transmission of infection is carried out by airborne droplets. At the same time, in other persons, the same microbial agents can cause not allergic, but acute bacterial bronchitis.
Allergic bronchitis caused by pollen is not contagious
Features of the spread of chronic bronchitis
Chronic bronchitis is a widespread pathology; according to statistics, over 10% of the adult population suffers from this disease. At the same time, with age, there is an increase in the incidence rate. In order to understand whether a patient with chronic bronchitis is able to infect others or not, one should find out what causes and pathological processes underlie the development of this disease.
The main causes of chronic bronchitis are:
- untimely and inadequate treatment of acute bronchitis;
- prolonged inhalation of polluted air (this also includes smoking, which contributes to the development of a smoker's bronchitis).
The chronic inflammatory process leads to sclerotic changes in the walls of the bronchi, hypersecretion of mucus.
During the period of remission of the disease, the patient has a cough with mucopurulent sputum. However, during this period, patients are not contagious to others, since their inflammatory process is not associated with infectious agents.
Exacerbations of chronic bronchitis are usually caused by the addition of a secondary infection (parasitic, fungal, viral or bacterial). During a cough, microbes, along with the smallest droplets of bronchial mucus, enter the environment, from where, with the current of inhaled air, they can enter the respiratory tract of other people. Thus, during an exacerbation, chronic bronchitis will be contagious to others.
Video
We offer for viewing a video on the topic of the article.
Elena Minkina Doctor anesthesiologist-resuscitator About the author
Education: graduated from the Tashkent State Medical Institute, specializing in general medicine in 1991. Repeatedly passed refresher courses.
Work experience: anesthesiologist-resuscitator of the city maternity complex, resuscitator of the hemodialysis department.
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