How can you cope with the coughing and other symptoms of bronchitis? A lot of the relief that you can get when it comes to the symptoms of bronchitis can be managed at home and if you begin right at the beginning, you can control the attack and it won’t be so severe.
When you are suffering from bronchitis, you need to see a doctor to rule out any other condition or complication. Once he has diagnosed you with bronchitis, he will ask you to take something to soothe the symptoms, mainly coughing. This could be an over the counter cough suppressant or some stronger prescription medicine if the coughing is severe. If you are short of breath or are wheezing, he might ask you to use an inhaler to get relief and to be able to breathe better. If he feels that it could be caused by bacteria, he will ask you to take a course of antibiotics. On no account must you stop the antibiotics halfway just because you are feeling better. You need to take the whole course so that the bacteria does not get resistant to the drug but is destroyed completely. You will also have to take stronger medication if there are complications like pneumonia.
Let’s take a look at what you need to do once you’ve been to the doctor and he’s prescribed treatment for you. You need to drink a lot of fluids so you don’t get dehydrated with all that mucus going out of the system. If you feel feverish, your doctor might advise you to take an aspirin.
You need to also relax, take it easy and try and get as much sleep as you can. The infection will clear up in a few days so you need to rest your body so it can fight against the enemy within. Keep away from all pollutants stay away especially from smokers. If you smoke, stop…now!
A humidifier in the house can help a lot in making you feel better because it reduces the irritation in the bronchial tubes. If it is cold weather, try not to let the cold air enter your nose and mouth. This just makes the respiratory passage cold and dry and irritated. Before you go to bed, try soaking in a hot bath and you’ll find that the heat and steam tend to make you feel so much better. You’ll probably be able to sleep well too and you need to rest when you have bronchitis.
Eat healthy and don’t stuff yourself with heavy food. You need to keep your digestive system light and not overworked because the body needs its energy to fight the disease. Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits and avoid dairy products and very sweet foods. You could add a lot of citrus juices to your diet. The Vitamin C helps in fighting the infection and the fluids are welcome to hydrate the system. Ask your doctor if you can take Vitamin C supplements as they help you fight the infection. You also need to drink something warm every now and then – you’ll find it soothing your throat even if it is just plain warm water. Try herbal teas and sweeten them with honey. They not only soothe your throat, they soothe your mind too.
You might want to make sure that you have someone you can call in case there are complications and things get bad. Make sure the name of your doctor and his number are prominently written down. If you live alone, especially, you should have someone close that you can report your progress to so they know how you are doing. Bronchitis – the acute type – does take a week or two to clear up and you need support during that time. You might want to ask a neighbor to help with shopping too because you may be too weak to go out. In the early stages, that is, the first week, you could be infectious so it would be a good thing to stay at home and not spread what you have.
In most acute bronchitis cases, you do get better and it’s only a matter of time. So you need to keep yourself as comfortable as you can and try to stay in good spirits. Catch up on your reading, watch funny movies, listen to music, write that book you’ve always wanted to. Look at it as time that you would never have otherwise – an enforced holiday when your time is all your own. Of course, this is a good time to catch up with friends over the phone too. It’s up to you how you use it. You’ll find that if you stay positive, it just helps you get better quicker. It isn’t easy when you’re coughing and short of breath but you can do it if you try.