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BRONCHITIS is an acute respiratory disease. It is a swelling of bronchi that is accompanied by cough, hacking cough, difficulty in breathing and phlegm. There are two major types of bronchitis: ACUTE and CHRONIC. Acute bronchitis is a common disease which typically protracts for a short period and is induced by influenza, the common cold, or an microbiosis. Thus, this type of bronchitis is highly contagious and is transmissible by means of cough, sneeze & merely by touching objects that have been touched by an infected person. The other type of the disease is chronic bronchitis. It lasts for longer period of time as compared to acute bronchitis. Its common conditions are similar to those of acute bronchitic: cough & wheeze. However, its causes are different. Chronic bronchitis is commonly induced by smoking, second hand smoke, a virus etcetera. On the whole, it is not contagious. Nevertheless, it not less annoying. Despite the different causes, the two types have a lot in common. Both of them are not susceptible to antibiotics. A virus causes bronchitis, and virus infections do not respond to the germ-killing properties of antibiotics. They are effective against bacterial infections (such as strep throat & bladder infections). Antibiotics can also cause complications, for instance diarrhoea and yeast infections. Furthermore, they can weaken your immune system. Thus, antibiotics may cause more harm than good when they are not used in the right way. Whatever type of bronchitis you have, it starts with hacking cough & gradually turns into sputum accompanied by fever, splitting headaches & fatigue. As long as you have the above mentioned conditions, your acute bronchitis is deemed to be contagious. It you have had this disease for more than half a year, you should make an appointment with your GP to check for other diseases. The spread of bronchitis can be avoided. An infected person should follow sanitary rules. It is an absolute to wash hands regularly and cover the mouth when coughing and sneezing. The best treatment for bronchitis is herbal remedies. They will not hurt your immune system as antibiotics can do & aim at the root causes. Herbal medications are effective against both acute and chronic bronchitis. Take all the necessary preventive measures to avoid the illness. Any disease is better to avoid than to cure.