A harsh cough is one clear symptom of bronchitis. Sometimes the cough will expel out yellowish mucus but oftentimes it will be a dry one. Your coughing may persist many weeks after the bronchitis has gone. The hard coughing can also cause your stomach muscles and chest to feel sore.
Some other likely symptoms may likely be felt when you have bronchitis. These may include:
- Pains and aches
- Blocked sinuses and nose
- Headaches
- Slight chills and fevers
- Sore throat
- Wheezing
- Breathlessness
- Tightening of the chest
Fortunately these symptoms are not oftentimes severe although they can be quite distressful. One important reason to see your doctor when you have bronchitis is that this condition has symptoms similar to pneumonia which is the inflammation of the lungs and is a serious condition. You may then need to know whether your symptoms may be that of pneumonia or some other serious condition making the need for seeing a doctor imperative.
You need to see your doctor if you:
- Suffer from frequent periods of bronchitis
- Become confused or drowsy
- Start to feel chest pains or rapid breathing
- Cough out mucus laced with blood
- Have non-stop fever for over three days
- Have cough that lasts more than three weeks or have severe coughing
- Suffer from an underlying lung or heart problem like emphysema (problem in the lung’s small airways), asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or congestive heart failure (a heart problem that causes fluids to collect in your lungs)
- Develop an underlying lung or heart condition that can increase the likelihood of heart failure or asthma
- Have chronic or long-term bronchitis
The wintertime is a particularly difficult season for people with chronic bronchitis to cope with as it causes more flare ups (worsening symptoms) in the person than any other season of the year.
A combination of chronic bronchitis and emphysema in a person can make it especially difficult for him to do any physical activity like exercising since these two conditions can make it extremely difficult for him to breathe.