[1] Other symptoms include coughing up mucus, wheezing, shortness of breath, fever, and chest discomfort.

[2] A small number of cases are due to high levels of air pollution or bacteria such as Mycoplasma pneumoniae or Bordetella pertussis.

[5][10] Treatment of acute bronchitis typically involves rest, paracetamol (acetaminophen), and NSAIDs to help with the fever.

[7] More than 10 million people in the United States visit a doctor each year for this condition with approximately 70% receiving antibiotics, most of which are not needed.

Upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) often precede acute bronchitis, with overlapping symptoms including headache, nasal congestion, and sore throat.

[17] A physical examination will often reveal decreased intensity of breath sounds, wheezing, rhonchi, and prolonged expiration.

During examination, physicians rely on history and the presence of persistent or acute onset of cough, followed by a URTI with no traces of pneumonia.

[18] Although there is no universally-accepted clinical definition for acute bronchitis, there is a proposed set of practical criteria (Macfarlane, 2001[19]) that include: A variety of tests may be performed in people presenting with cough and shortness of breath:[20] Decreased breath sounds, crackles, wheezing, and rhonchi that clears with coughs may be heard in the chest.

[21] Approaches to prevent acute bronchitis include smoking cessation and avoiding lung irritants.

[5] An oral whole cell nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae vaccine given in the fall has demonstrated short term effectiveness in reducing the frequency and severity of the disease during the winter.

[26] To help the bronchial tree heal faster and not make bronchitis worse, smokers should quit smoking completely.

[28] There is weak evidence that salbutamol may be useful in adults with wheezing due to a restricted airway; however, it may result in nervousness, shakiness or a tremor.

[7] In infants under one year of age, acute bronchitis was the most common reason for admission to the hospital after an emergency department visit in the US in 2011.