cold vs bronchitis

Cold vs Bronchitis

A lot of symptoms are common between cold and bronchitis. However, both are separate conditions. Let's get to know more about their mutual differences to be able to identify the signs of cold vs bronchitis in a patient.

Cough, sore throat, runny nose and nasal congestion, occasional fevers - these symptoms are more or less common for both cold and bronchitis which often leads to misdiagnosis, leading the sufferer to believe he is ailing from one when he could very well be ailing from the other! Both common cold and bronchitis are caused by viral infection (although a small percentage - about 10% of bronchitis cases are brought on by bacterial invasion) but in both cases, the infecting virus attacks different areas of the patient's respiratory tract. Therefore, the medical approach towards handling both these conditions also differ significantly. Let's take a brief look at various aspects of cold vs bronchitis to understand their mutual differences and to be able to tell one from the other. Cold Vs. Bronchitis - Details and Differences The following segments lay out the various details of both bronchitis and cold so as to make it easier to understand their mutual differences in terms of the site of infection, pathogens involved, symptoms and treatment of the respective ailments. Site of Infection As I mentioned before, the site of infection differs for common cold and bronchitis. In common cold, the viruses attack the upper part of the pharynx, covering the entire region starting from the back of the nose and extending all along the back of the throat. The viral infection causes inflammation in this nasopharyngeal region, leading to the most significant symptom of common cold - sore throat and an itch-like irritation starting from the roof of the mouth and extending all the way along the back of the throat. In case of bronchitis, the mucous membrane layer on the insides of the bronchi is where the viral/bacterial infection occurs. Sometimes, a prolonged period of ailment from common cold can lead to acute bronchitis as the rhinovirus, a common pathogen in both cold and bronchitis, spreads from the nasopharyngeal region to other parts of the respiratory tract and ultimately reaching and infecting the bronchi. Pathogens Involved The most common viruses that are primarily responsible for causing common cold are rhinoviruses and coronaviruses. Both viruses have positive-sense single stranded RNA structures with the rhinovirus having an icosahedral structure and the coronavirus having a helical symmetry. The viral pathogens responsible for bronchitis are rhinoviruses, adenoviruses and viruses belonging to the Orthomyxoviridae family which are responsible for causing influenza in mammals and birds. Adenoviruses are double stranded DNA viruses having an icosahedral symmetry. Viruses belonging to the Orthomyxoviridae family are all linear negative-sense single stranded RNA viruses. The bacteria responsible for causing bacterial bronchitis include the micro organisms Chlamydophila pneumoniae (majorly responsible for causing most types of pneumonia), Mycoplasma pneumoniae (responsible for causing mycoplasma pneumonia) and Bordetella pertussis (responsible for causing whooping cough). Respective Symptoms Most common cold symptoms include nasal congestion, runny nose, cough, sore throat, occasional chills and shivering, low fever, myalgia (muscle ache), pink eye (occasionally), fatigue and loss of appetite. Most of these symptoms are common to influenza as well. Bronchitis symptoms include sore throat, runny nose (sometimes), nasal congestion, inflammation of the pleural cavity, sputum production and increased mucus secretion, an overall feeling of dullness or uneasiness, occasional wheezing and difficulty in breathing due to congestion of the upper respiratory tract. Low fever may or may not be present. Respective Treatments The normal course of common cold treatment includes administering medications such as paracetamols, antipyretics, cough suppressants and analgesics for providing symptomatic relief. Antihistamines can be administered to relieve runny nose. Decongestants and expectorants are also given in severe cases of cough accumulation to relieve congestion and assist in cough expectoration. Since the immune system itself takes care of the cold causing virus, the primary method of cure includes allowing the body sufficient rest, drinking lots of fluids and eating lots of vitamin-rich foods. Vitamin C and zinc supplements can be taken additionally to further boost up the immune system. Since the infection is viral, antibiotics should never be given as they have no effect on the virus. On the contrary, they induce a lot of undesirable side effects and can encourage the growth of antibiotic resistant bacteria. For viral bronchitis, besides administration of decongestants and expectorants, NSAIDs (non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) are also given to arrest the inflammation of the bronchial mucous membrane and to provide relief from sore throat and fever. Cough suppressants may be given to relieve constant coughing, especially at night. Antibiotics may be administered only after ascertaining that the infection is bacterial in nature. Bronchodilators may be necessary to reduce narrowing of the bronchi in cases where breathing difficulties and wheezing are experienced. Besides these, the normal curative measures such as rest, nutritious food and pollution free environment is conducive to swift recovery. Last but not the least, a major difference in reference to cold vs bronchitis lies in the fact that while prolonged duration of cold can lead to bronchitis, it is not the other way round. Bronchitis and pneumonia are also sometimes confused for one another as both affect the lungs. However, while the former causes infection and inflammation in the bronchial mucous membrane, the latter is caused by infection of the tissues of the lungs themselves. Also, an individual who suffers from any disease of the lungs or the bronchi, such as asthma or bronchitis, is more likely to develop pneumonia than an average individual who suffers from no more than seasonal flus and occasional colds. Now that you know the difference between bronchitis and cold, you can easily put all the symptoms together and tell one from the other in order to take up an appropriate course of treatment accordingly.

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