Symptoms

• Chronic bronchial infection symptoms include: chronic cough with possibly thick yellow, green or white mucus; shortness of breath; chest tightness; wheezing; headache; or just not feeling 100 percent.
  
  

Causes

• Chronic bronchitis can be caused by recurring acute bronchitis, and acute bronchitis is most often caused by a virus. However, smoking causes 80 percent of chronic bronchitis cases.
  
  

Risks

• A person's risk for developing chronic bronchitis increases from smoking, the length of exposure to secondhand smoke, fumes from chemicals and other air pollutants.
  
  

Diagnosis

• A doctor can diagnose chronic bronchitis by using some or all of the following: physical exam; medical history; chest X-ray (to rule out pneumonia); and spirometry (a breathing test to rule out asthma).
  
  

Treatment

• Treatment may include drinking fluids, getting rest, using cough medicine and using a bronchodilator.
  
  

Prevention

• Prevent bronchitis by washing hands to reduce germs spreading; stopping smoking; avoiding secondhand smoke; getting adequate sleep; and eating healthy (to ward off illnesses).