For acute bronchitis, symptoms usually go away within 7 to 10 days if you do not have an underlying lung disorder. However, a dry, hacking cough can linger for a number of months.

The chance for recovery is poor for persons with advanced chronic bronchitis. Early recognition and treatment, combined with smoking cessation, significantly improve the chance of a good outcome.

Pneumonia can develop from either acute or chronic bronchitis. If you have chronic bronchitis, you are more likely to develop recurrent respiratory infections. You may also develop:

• Emphysema
• Right-sided heart failure or cor pulmonale
• Pulmonary hypertension

Call your doctor if:

• You have a cough most days or you have a cough that returns frequently
• You are coughing up blood
• You have a high fever or shaking chills
• You have a low-grade fever for 3 or more days
• You have thick, greenish mucus, especially if it has a bad smell
• You feel short of breath or have chest pain
• You have an underlying chronic illness, like heart or lung disease

• DO NOT smoke.
• Get a yearly flu vaccine and a pneumococcal vaccine as directed by your doctor.
• Reduce your exposure to air pollution.
• Wash your hands (and your children's hands) frequently to avoid spreading viruses and other infections.

Gwaltney JM. Acute bronchitis. In: Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolin R, eds. Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone; 2005:chap 58.

GOLD Scientific Committee. Global Strategy for the Diagnosis, Management, and Prevention of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: GOLD Executive Summary updated 2006.