What you can and can't do when you have bronchitis: Q&A

People get bronchitis very often, and the inflammatory process affecting the mucous membrane that covers the bronchi leads to a strong cough.

Bronchitis has various causes and can become chronic, so you should know what you can and cannot do with bronchitis.

But first, we would like to remind you that in clinical pulmonology, bronchitis is distinguished as: acute and chronic; infectious (bacterial, viral, mixed) and inhalation (that is, arising from the effect of chemicals on the bronchi);

Catarrhal and purulent; with pulmonary obstruction (impaired ventilation) and non-obstructive.

In addition, in the chronic form of the disease, a significant proportion of patients are diagnosed with asthmatic or allergic bronchitis, as well as bronchitis in bronchial asthma. Therefore, when giving medical recommendations and introducing certain restrictions, doctors take into account the etiology of bronchial inflammation and the clinical features of its manifestation. And in this regard, patients have many questions...

• Question: Is it possible to walk outside if you have bronchitis?

If a patient of any age has acute infectious bronchitis with an increase in body temperature, then walks should be avoided until the temperature returns to normal. In the chronic form of the disease, you need to walk when your health and weather conditions allow. An exception may be allergic bronchitis and the presence of an allergy to plant pollen: it is recommended to limit walks during the flowering season.

By the way, regarding whether it is necessary to reduce the temperature during bronchitis. Temperatures below +38°C are not brought down so as not to reduce the production of endogenous interferons, which stimulate immunity, suppress viral infection in the body and free it from infected cells.

Is it possible to walk in winter with bronchitis? It is possible (under the conditions already listed), but not in severe frost: when it is -8°C and below outside, it is better to stay at home with bronchitis – in the warmth. Read more – Walking with bronchitis: benefit or harm

• Question: Is it possible to go to a bathhouse if you have bronchitis? And is it also possible to go to a sauna if you have bronchitis?

Even a slight increase in body temperature or a cough with pus in the sputum (with possible bronchiectasis) are contraindications to visiting a bathhouse or sauna. It is also necessary to take into account the presence of pathologies in which people should not undergo bath procedures at all: severe heart failure, hypertension, nephritis, kidney or bladder stones, hepatitis, oncology, mental illness, etc.

However, with the dilation of blood vessels, which is facilitated by the bath and sauna, a more complete opening of the thinnest branches of the bronchi (bronchioles) and the cleansing of their lumens from mucous exudate is noted; breathing becomes deeper, the intensity of coughing decreases, wheezing disappears. So, in the absence of contraindications, breathing hot steam in the bath is useful.

To related questions – can you wash with bronchitis and can you take a bath with bronchitis – doctors give a positive answer, provided that the body temperature is normal. But in any case, the water should not be very hot (+40-42°C), and the duration of the bath should be limited (no more than 10-15 minutes).

• Question: Is it possible to go to the pool if you have bronchitis?

It is unlikely that anyone would think of going to the pool with a fever and a cough... Remember that when you are overcooled (considering that the water in the pools is not higher than +18°C), the blood vessels narrow, the tissues receive less oxygen, and many organs of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems function in a stressful mode.

In general, swimming in the pool will have to be postponed until recovery or remission of chronic bronchitis.

• Question: Is it possible to play sports with bronchitis? And also – is it possible to run with bronchitis?

Of course, you can't play sports or go to the gym with acute bronchitis or an exacerbation of the chronic form of the disease: it is harmful to overload the body during illness. In addition, doing abdominal exercises or running with a cough and shortness of breath is almost impossible. Therefore, avoid running, swimming, cycling and other sports activities associated with the load on the respiratory system.

• Question: Is it possible to drink alcohol if you have bronchitis?

This question has three "sub-items": can you drink vodka with bronchitis, can you drink wine with bronchitis, and can you drink beer with bronchitis?

Domestic medicine has a clear answer - it is impossible. However, the categorical nature of this statement is being refuted by research conducted in the West for many years. Volatility facilitates the movement of alcohol from the bronchial circulation - through the epithelium of the respiratory tract - into the lungs, and its effect on the functions of the respiratory tract depends on the concentration and duration.

It has been established that small amounts of alcohol, when exposed for a short time, can enhance the clearance of the ciliary epithelium of the respiratory tract (mucociliary clearance), and stimulation of the smooth respiratory muscles leads to the expansion of the bronchial lumen (bronchodilation).

It is assumed that these factors somewhat reduce the damage to the respiratory tract in bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). But long-term exposure to large doses of alcohol inhibits mucociliary clearance, since alcohol metabolites reduce the sensitivity of the ciliated epithelium. So any alcohol in large quantities acts as a trigger for exacerbation of respiratory diseases.

• Question: Is it possible to smoke with bronchitis? Is it possible to smoke hookah with bronchitis?

Do not smoke under any circumstances! And try to stay away from smokers: nicotine and several hundred other chemical compounds contained in cigarette smoke not only damage the ciliated epithelium of the respiratory tract, but also negatively affect the work of the secretory cells of the bronchial tree that produce protective mucus.

In addition, the pyridine alkaloid of tobacco, nicotine, has a depressing effect on the respiratory center of the medulla oblongata.

• Question: Can you drink Tabex if you have bronchitis?

Tabex, a remedy for treating nicotine addiction, contains the alkaloid cytisine, which is an N-cholinomimetic, i.e. it reflexively stimulates nicotine-sensitive receptors and thus has an exciting effect on the respiratory center. At the same time, the adrenal glands secrete more adrenaline into the blood with an increase in arterial pressure.

It is not recommended to take Tabex for bronchitis and bronchial asthma, because this drug first briefly increases the activity of n-cholinergic receptors, and then has a depressing effect on breathing.

• Question: Are antibiotics necessary for bronchitis? And is it possible to do without antibiotics for bronchitis?

In fact, inflammation of the bronchi in most cases is caused by a viral infection, so antibiotics do not work for bronchitis. Doctors prescribe them for preventive purposes: bronchitis can be secondary and develop due to bacterial infections of the paranasal sinuses.

And when you can’t do without antibacterial agents, read the special article – Antibiotics for bronchitis

• Question: Do inhalations help with bronchitis? Is it possible to breathe in potatoes with bronchitis?

They help if the cough during bronchitis is dry, and the bronchitis itself is not asthmatic. For inhalations, use a saline or soda solution, decoctions of pine needles, eucalyptus and sage leaves, thyme grass, etc. In more detail - how to do inhalations for bronchitis at home

Inhaling the vapors of potatoes boiled in their skins is useful for a runny nose with a stuffy nose: the salts in the potato peels are alkaline and help to liquefy the mucus that accumulates in the nasal cavity. If you breathe deeply over the potato with your mouth, the bronchial mucus also becomes more liquid and easier to cough up. But it should be borne in mind that at elevated temperatures and in the case of an allergic etiology of cough, such inhalations cannot be done.

• Question: Is it possible to breathe with a nebulizer if you have bronchitis?

The use of a nebulizer, which produces a finely dispersed cloud of medicinal solution that more easily enters the bronchi, is considered the physiotherapeutic method of choice in the treatment of bronchitis. Full information in the article - Nebulizer for bronchitis

• Question: Can Pulmicort be used for bronchitis?

Pulmicort is a synthetic corticosteroid busedonide, used in the treatment of asthmatic bronchitis, bronchial asthma and COPD; the drug helps reduce bronchial edema.

Pulmicort in suspension form is intended for inhalation using a nebulizer, and in powder form – for use through inhalation devices with dispensers.

For chronic allergic bronchitis, Ventolin and Atrovent are also used by inhalation.

• Question: Is it possible to steam your feet if you have bronchitis?

If the body temperature is normal, you can steam your feet with bronchitis. More information about additional methods of fighting cough - Treatment of bronchitis at home

• Question: Is it possible to warm the chest and back when you have bronchitis?

Since warming up can be done in different ways, this question also highlights the corresponding sub-items: 1) Is it possible to do rubbing with bronchitis? 2) Is it possible to do a compress with bronchitis? 3) Is it possible to put mustard plasters with bronchitis?

In case of bronchitis, you can warm up your chest and back when your temperature is normal and your cough is dry. This can be done by rubbing your chest or back (in the shoulder blade area) with vodka, camphor, turpentine or menthol ointments: the rush of blood to the lung area expands the capillaries, improves oxygen supply and tissue trophism, and also activates immune cells.

The effect of compresses using heated vegetable and animal fats is similar. And if you are interested in whether badger fat helps with bronchitis, then for compresses and rubbing you can use vegetable oil heated in a water bath and goat or goose fat melted in a steamer with the same success.

And you will find full information about mustard plasters (when and how to apply them) in the publication – Mustard plasters for bronchitis

It should also be taken into account that an absolute contraindication to the use of all warming procedures is the obstructive form of bronchitis and coughing up thick mucopurulent sputum (yellow or greenish).

• Question: Can Doctor Mom be used for bronchitis?

Locally irritating ointment Doctor Mom, according to the instructions, is intended for the symptomatic treatment of acute respiratory infections with a runny nose and nasal congestion; muscle pain and headache. The ointment contains: camphor, menthol, nutmeg and eucalyptus oil, turpentine and thymol. In case of a runny nose, the product should be applied to the wings of the nose, in case of a headache - to the skin of the temples. The manufacturer recommends using this ointment, we quote, "to relieve the symptoms of a cold and acute respiratory infections - to relieve a runny nose and cough." But this product cannot be used for children under two years of age.

Please note: A child over the specified age may inhale menthol and camphor (when Doctor Mom is applied to the chest), which may lead to increased coughing and reflex respiratory depression.

• Question: Is it possible to use cupping therapy for bronchitis?

A comprehensive answer is given in the publication - Banks on the back for the treatment of bronchitis

• Question: Is it possible to do massage if you have bronchitis?

In case of bronchitis, you can do therapeutic massage (drainage, vibration, vacuum), which helps to alleviate the condition, helping to relieve spasms of the respiratory muscles and make it easier to cough up phlegm.

However, such massage cannot be done with elevated temperature, acute bronchitis, high blood pressure, dermatological diseases. Read more - Massage for bronchitis in adults and children

• Question: Can Mucaltin be used for bronchitis?

Mucaltin tablets are expectorant drugs, they contain dry extract of marshmallow root, sodium bicarbonate and tartaric acid. The drug is recommended for use in the presence of viscous sputum that is difficult to cough up. A single dose is two tablets of 50 mg (before meals), daily - six tablets (300 mg). Mucaltin is contraindicated in gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer.

Also read - Expectorants for Bronchitis

• Question: Can Sinekod be used for bronchitis?

Sinekod (Butamirat) cough syrup and drops should be prescribed by a doctor if the patient has a severe dry cough due to bronchitis.

This drug acts directly on the cough center of the brain, relieving bronchial spasms. Its contraindications include the first trimester of pregnancy, breastfeeding, and childhood (for drops - up to two months, for syrup - up to three years).

• Question: Is it possible to drink ACC if you have bronchitis?

ACC (Acestin, Muconex and other trade names) - granules for solution preparation and effervescent water-soluble tablets - refers to mucolytics (bronchodilators), that is, it helps to thin thick sputum.

It can be taken from the age of two, and contraindications include gastric ulcer, pulmonary bleeding, hepatitis and kidney failure.

Useful information in the article - Tablets for bronchitis

• Question: Is honey allowed for bronchitis?

In case of bronchitis, it is useful to add honey to regular tea and herbal teas for cough, but only if there is no allergy to this bee product. Therefore, doctors do not recommend using honey for patients with allergic bronchitis.

• Question: Is milk allowed if you have bronchitis?

Traditionally, when you have a cough, you drink hot milk with butter and honey, but this remedy is for inflammation of the throat and pharynx. Milk does not help to cough up phlegm, on the contrary, like other dairy products, it promotes the formation of mucus.

Therefore, it is better to drink herbal teas and drink plenty of water throughout the day: it helps reduce the formation of mucus in the inflamed bronchi.

• Question: Is onion effective in treating bronchitis?

The list of the most effective home remedies for cough includes onions, the phytoncides of which have a bactericidal effect on respiratory infections. Onion juice can successfully treat coughs with bronchitis - viral and bacterial.

To prepare the juice, finely chop the onion, put it in a jar, cover with granulated sugar (80-90 g of sugar per 100 g of onion), close the lid and leave at room temperature for 10-12 hours. During this time, the onion will release juice, ready to use for coughs. Children under five are given a teaspoon or dessert spoon of juice three times a day, adults can take 1-2 tablespoons.

By the way, onion can be replaced with grated black radish.

• Question: Can you drink sage if you have bronchitis?

Gargling with decoctions of sage leaves (Salvia officinalis) helps relieve pain and inflammation in pharyngitis and tonsillitis. But this plant, which contains a derivative of coumaric acid, esculetin, is not included in pharmacy chest collections, as it can increase coughing by stimulating contraction of vascular walls and respiratory muscles.

• Question: Can lemon be used for bronchitis?

Lemon contains vitamin C, which is essential for infectious diseases, so lemon tea, a decoction of viburnum berries with lemon, will undoubtedly be useful for coughs. Since bronchitis usually begins as a cold, use vitamin C - 4 g per day - to solve the problem before it becomes bronchitis.

• Question: Is it possible to eat ice cream if you have bronchitis?

In case of acute bronchitis, doctors do not recommend drinking very cold drinks or eating ice cream.

• Question: Can you eat seeds if you have bronchitis?

There is no clear answer to this question. On the one hand, seeds are difficult to digest and "distract" the body from digestion - instead of fighting infection.

On the other hand, sunflower seeds are rich in unsaturated fatty acids, and pumpkin seeds are rich in the amino acids arginine and leucine, which accelerate the process of regeneration of mucous tissues damaged by inflammation.

• Question: Is it possible to do the Mantoux test if you have bronchitis?

Routine vaccinations and the Mantoux tuberculin test are carried out only in the absence of acute respiratory infections and respiratory diseases.

• Question: Is it possible to have sex with bronchitis?

Bronchitis is not a contraindication for coitus, unless the condition of the sexual partners is complicated by fever, weakness or difficulty breathing due to obstructive bronchitis.

• Question: Is it possible to breastfeed with bronchitis?

Breastfeeding may be temporarily discontinued if a nursing woman with bronchitis is prescribed antibiotics that pass into breast milk.

• Question: Do they give disability benefits for bronchitis?

In the Instructions for establishing disability groups (approved by the order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine No. 561 dated 05.09. 2011), bronchitis is not included in the list of diseases in the presence of which disability can be established. However, in accordance with paragraph 3.2.7., the right to receive a disability group is given by diseases of the respiratory system with a progressive course, accompanied by persistent pulmonary insufficiency of the III degree, in combination with circulatory insufficiency of the IIB-III degree.