Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow CommonBy Race and EthnicityBy Age and GenderCausesMortality RatesEarly Detection
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
How Common
By Race and Ethnicity
By Age and Gender
Causes
Mortality Rates
Early Detection
Acute bronchitis (often called a chest cold) is usually temporary, but chronic bronchitis is a progressive condition that greatly affects your quality of life, impacting your ability to breathe.
This article will cover what you should know about acute and chronic bronchitis, including how common these conditions are, who is more likely to be affected, how it affects mortality, and early detection.
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How Common Is Bronchitis?
Bronchitis is one of the most common reasons why U.S. adults are admitted to the hospital. It is estimated that 1 in 20 U.S. adults experience acute bronchitis every year, and about 10 million people or 3% of the population are living with chronic bronchitis.
Acute bronchitis most commonly affects young children, while chronic bronchitis is most prevalent in people aged 44 to 65.
Declining smoking rates have led to reduced chronic bronchitis rates. One study of nearly 48,000 people found that chronic bronchitis rates declined in adults of any sex, ages 25 to 64.Similarly, increasing vaccination rates have led to lower acute bronchitis rates.
According to the American Lung Association, chronic bronchitis rates in 2018 were highest in White populations and lowest in Latinx populations, 4.1% compared to 2.4%.This means White populations were 1.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with chronic bronchitis than Latinx populations.
Sex
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Lung Association, females are more likely than males to be diagnosed with chronic bronchitis, but the reasons why remain a mystery. In 2018, females were twice as likely as males to have chronic bronchitis.
(Note that Verywell Health prefers to use inclusive terminology, but when citing research or statistics, terms from the cited sources will be used. People assigned female at birth are often termed women or females, while those assigned male at birth are often termed men or males.)
Age
Young children and older adults are at highest risk of developing bronchitis. Acute bronchitis incidence is highest among young children, especially those under 5 years old, before they have completed their vaccination schedule. During this time viruses such as the common cold may trigger acute bronchitis.
Adults over age 40 are at greater risk of developing chronic bronchitis due to smoking or long-term exposure to lung irritants such as secondhand smoke, air pollution, or workplace chemicals.
Chronic bronchitis can affect you at any age, but data shows adults over 65 are particularly at high risk.Adults 44 to 65 are at the next highest risk.
People diagnosed with chronic bronchitis under age 50 have been of particular interest to researchers. The data shows that chronic bronchitis before 50 is associated with a higher risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) later in life and higher rates of all-cause mortality.
Causes of Bronchitis and Risk Factors
The causes of acute bronchitis include:
The causes of chronic bronchitis include:
The following groups are at high risk for bronchitis:
Causes and Risk Factors of Bronchitis
What Are the Mortality Rates for Bronchitis?
Young children are at the highest risk of acute bronchitis. Although symptoms of acute bronchitis may be nerve-racking for parents and uncomfortable for children, death from acute bronchitis is extremely rare. It can develop intopneumonia(lung inflammation and/or infection).
Chronic bronchitis is potentially life-threatening if left untreated. It is a form ofchronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In 2020, 457 people in the United States were reported to have died from chronic or unspecified bronchitis.
Smoking is often associated with chronic bronchitis, and it increases the risk of developing lung cancer and cardiovascular disease.Some studies of chronic bronchitis have found that it increased mortality from any cause.
Screening and Early Detection
In people without symptoms, screening for COPD (which includes chronic bronchitis) is not recommended.If you have symptoms, see a healthcare provider to be assessed for the condition.Symptoms of chronic bronchitisinclude frequent coughing, productive cough (produces mucus), and shortness of breath.
Acute bronchitis will usually clear up without treatment in seven to 10 days. But see a healthcare provider if you have a fever, bloody mucus when you cough, trouble breathing, or wheezing or coughing for longer than two weeks.
There is no cure for chronic bronchitis. Early detection of chronic bronchitis and lifestyle modifications—most notably quitting smoking— most notably quitting smoking, are essential to improving your quality of life and overall survival.
Avoiding lung irritants, getting vaccinated (including ayearly flu shot), and washing your hands will also decrease your acute bronchitis risk. People with chronic bronchitis are more prone to these infections, so these measures are needed.
For children, people over 65, and those at heightened risk for bacterial pneumonia, apneumococcus vaccinecan help prevent this complication of acute or chronic bronchitis. For many current and former smokers age 50 to 80,lung cancer screeningis recommended.
Summary
13 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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