Signs and Symptoms of Bronchitis

3. Cough

In the previous page, it has been mentioned how a cold can develop a cough in a person suffering from bronchitis, and that coughing will often be one of the signs of bronchitis.  The ordinary cough starts out as a phlegmatic cough, meaning there is phlegm that triggers the cough, and often phlegm rises to the mouth with almost every cough.  In bronchitis, the cough often starts out dry, no phlegm, like a reflexive reaction to the irritation in your throat, rather than because of a blockage of phlegm.  However, with every dry cough, the irritation in the throat can worsen.  It’s like rubbing your skin raw, the more you do it, the worse it gets.  This can then trigger the body to produce phlegm as a protective layer for the throat, as well as to trap microbes that irritate the throat.  The process basically starts out as a dry cough, then progresses to phlegmatic cough with clear, then whitish, then yellowish, or brownish, and eventually greenish phlegm.  If you are noticing this progression, even in the earlier stages, and especially if the condition (yours or someone else’s) does not seem to be improving, it might be good to get checked by a doctor.  If the cause of your cough or bronchitis is bacterial, you will need to be prescribed antibiotics, but only a medical doctor has the duly recognized expertise to prescribe which medications you should take.