Bronchitis and pneumonia can both cause coughing, chest congestion, and chills. But while bronchitis is an infection of the bronchial tubes, which carry air into the lungs, pneumonia is an infection in the alveoli, the air sacs where oxygen passes into the bloodstream.
Anatomy of the Lungs
Symptoms of Bronchitis vs. Pneumonia
BronchitisPersistent cough that may be dry or wetChest painChillsShortness of breath with wheezingBody achesSore throatPneumoniaPersistent cough that is painful and productiveChest painChills and feverShortness of breathHeadacheFatigue
BronchitisPersistent cough that may be dry or wetChest painChillsShortness of breath with wheezingBody achesSore throat
Persistent cough that may be dry or wet
Chest pain
Chills
Shortness of breath with wheezing
Body aches
Sore throat
PneumoniaPersistent cough that is painful and productiveChest painChills and feverShortness of breathHeadacheFatigue
Persistent cough that is painful and productive
Chills and fever
Shortness of breath
Headache
Fatigue
Understanding Bronchitis
Acutebronchitisis inflammation of theairways that lead to the lungs. It can occur after a viral illness such as the common cold or flu, or occasionally, it can develop on its own. Typically bronchitis is viral, meaning that antibiotics are not helpful in treating it.
Symptoms of bronchitisinclude:
Acute bronchitis can resolve on its own within about a week, but the cough may linger for weeks or even months.
If you’ve beendiagnosed with bronchitisand your symptoms worsen or change significantly, you may have developed another infection. Contact your healthcare provider to be seen again if this happens.
Can Bronchitis Turn Into Pneumonia?
Treating Bronchitis
You may find over-the-counter (OTC) medications helpful, and you should try to rest as much as possible and increase your fluid intake as well.
And although acute bronchitis is bothersome, it is typically not as severe as pneumonia.
Bronchitis Doctor Discussion GuideGet our printable guide for your next healthcare provider’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.Download PDFEmail AddressSign UpThank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up.There was an error. Please try again.
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Understanding Pneumonia
Pneumoniais an infection of the lungs.Although both illnesses can cause apainful cough, pneumonia also causes other significant symptoms.
People with pneumonia typically feel much worse than a person with bronchitis would.
2:29How Pneumonia Occurs
2:29
How Pneumonia Occurs
Symptoms of pneumoniamay include:
There are many types of pneumonia and some are more serious than others. The most common type of pneumonia in adults is bacterial pneumonia. It can cause severe illness and is a leading cause of death among Americans.
The CDC reports that approximately 150,000 Americans are hospitalized yearly with pneumococcal pneumonia—the most common type of pneumonia. Thousands die from it as well.
Treating Pneumonia
Treatment for pneumoniawill depend on the cause, but if you have bacterial pneumonia, you will almost always need to be treated with antibiotics.Other over-the-counter medications may be helpful to deal with the symptoms as well but talk with your healthcare provider about which options are suitable for you.
Getting adequate rest is essential when you have pneumonia. It is a severe illness that takes time to heal and recover from.
There are less severe forms of pneumonia—like walking pneumonia—that come with milder symptoms and don’t always need to be treated with antibiotics.Your healthcare provider will determine your pneumonia type based on your symptoms, a physical exam, and tests.
A Word From VerywellHow to know if your cough needs antibiotics is a very common question. Your healthcare provider is there for you to diagnose your illness, determine proper treatment, and answer any questions you may have to help you feel better.—JANE KIM, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
A Word From Verywell
How to know if your cough needs antibiotics is a very common question. Your healthcare provider is there for you to diagnose your illness, determine proper treatment, and answer any questions you may have to help you feel better.—JANE KIM, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
How to know if your cough needs antibiotics is a very common question. Your healthcare provider is there for you to diagnose your illness, determine proper treatment, and answer any questions you may have to help you feel better.
—JANE KIM, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
Bronchitis and Asthma
7 SourcesVerywell 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.Kinkade S, Long NA.Acute Bronchitis.Am Fam Physician. 2016;94(7):560–5.American Academy of Family Physicians.Acute Bronchitis.National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. National Institutes of Health.Bronchitis.Mattila JT, Fine MJ, Limper AH, Murray PR, Chen BB, Lin PL.Pneumonia. Treatment and diagnosis.Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2014;11 Suppl 4:S189–92. doi:10.1513/AnnalsATS.201401-027PLNational Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.Pneumonia.U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Vaccine-preventable adult diseases.American Academy of Family Physicians.Pneumonia.
7 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.Kinkade S, Long NA.Acute Bronchitis.Am Fam Physician. 2016;94(7):560–5.American Academy of Family Physicians.Acute Bronchitis.National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. National Institutes of Health.Bronchitis.Mattila JT, Fine MJ, Limper AH, Murray PR, Chen BB, Lin PL.Pneumonia. Treatment and diagnosis.Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2014;11 Suppl 4:S189–92. doi:10.1513/AnnalsATS.201401-027PLNational Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.Pneumonia.U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Vaccine-preventable adult diseases.American Academy of Family Physicians.Pneumonia.
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.
Kinkade S, Long NA.Acute Bronchitis.Am Fam Physician. 2016;94(7):560–5.American Academy of Family Physicians.Acute Bronchitis.National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. National Institutes of Health.Bronchitis.Mattila JT, Fine MJ, Limper AH, Murray PR, Chen BB, Lin PL.Pneumonia. Treatment and diagnosis.Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2014;11 Suppl 4:S189–92. doi:10.1513/AnnalsATS.201401-027PLNational Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.Pneumonia.U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Vaccine-preventable adult diseases.American Academy of Family Physicians.Pneumonia.
Kinkade S, Long NA.Acute Bronchitis.Am Fam Physician. 2016;94(7):560–5.
American Academy of Family Physicians.Acute Bronchitis.
National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. National Institutes of Health.Bronchitis.
Mattila JT, Fine MJ, Limper AH, Murray PR, Chen BB, Lin PL.Pneumonia. Treatment and diagnosis.Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2014;11 Suppl 4:S189–92. doi:10.1513/AnnalsATS.201401-027PL
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.Pneumonia.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Vaccine-preventable adult diseases.
American Academy of Family Physicians.Pneumonia.
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