What does cough feel like with acute bronchitis?

Acute bronchitis can make the airways swollen and sensitive. The cough may feel harsh, tiring, or painful in the chest muscles, and coughing can bring up clear, white, yellow, or green mucus. Wheezing, a scratchy throat, tiredness, a runny nose, or a mild fever may occur with the illness. Mucus colour by itself does not show whether antibiotics are needed.

The cough can continue after other cold symptoms improve because airway irritation takes time to settle. A clinician should consider other causes when symptoms are severe, unusual, or not improving.

Rest, drink fluids, and use warm drinks to soothe the throat. Avoid tobacco smoke and other inhaled irritants. Honey may soothe cough in adults and children over one year, but never give honey to an infant under one year. Ask a pharmacist about symptom relief that is safe with your health conditions and regular medicines.

Get medical advice for breathlessness, chest pain, a high or persistent fever, dehydration, or a cough that is worsening instead of settling. Seek urgent help for severe difficulty breathing, blue lips, confusion, coughing blood, or sudden weakness. People who are pregnant, older, or living with heart or lung disease may need earlier assessment.

Ask whether your symptoms fit acute bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma, or another problem, and whether testing is needed. Mention when the cough began, whether you are short of breath, the mucus appearance, fever, smoking or vaping exposure, and any existing lung condition.