What is bronchitis and what are its symptoms? 2026

The bronchi are two ducts or tubes in which the trachea bifurcates and subdivide into different branches until they become increasingly finer branches until they reach the lungs, in the same way that the branches of a tree do, for example. These fine channels are called bronchioles, where the exchange of air - rich in oxygen - for carbon dioxide occurs.

They basically draw air into these organs, and when they become inflamed, what is medically known as bronchitis occurs. That is, bronchitis consists of inflammation of the bronchi. It becomes the most common bronchial disorder, and can be acute or chronic.

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In children, for example, it is considered one of the most typical respiratory diseases in childhood, and one of the conditions that tend to cause the most visits to medical services, especially emergencies. And, among them, viral bronchitis is the most common in children from 0 to 36 months (not to mention bronchiolitis, which becomes another of the most common childhood diseases).

What is childhood bronchitis?

Although there are different types of bronchitis, the acute form of presentation is one of the most common. It is a fundamentally viral infection (that is, caused by a virus) in which there is acute inflammation of the mucosa present in the bronchi. According to the Spanish Society of Internal Medicine, it basically consists of “inflammation of the bronchial tubes,” which are the airways that carry oxygen to the lungs.

Among the viruses that tend to cause the disease in young children, the following stand out:

• Influenza: Popularly known as the “flu virus”, it is a virus of which there are different types such as A, B, C and D. Viruses A and B usually cause seasonal epidemics, while influenza type C is one of the mildest respiratory diseases.
• Parainfluenza: As with influenza, there are a total of four parainfluenza viruses.
• Respiratory syncytial virus: Also known as RSV, it is a respiratory virus that affects both the airways and ducts, infecting the lungs.

In addition to influenza, parainfluenza and respiratory syncytial virus, in children over 4-5 years of age it can also be caused by Chlamidia pneumoniae and Mycoplasma pneumoniae.

What symptoms appear when a child has bronchitis?

In case of acute bronchitis, cough becomes one of the most predominant symptoms. This is a persistent, constant, dry cough that usually lasts no more than 2 weeks (although it can sometimes last several weeks even after the infection has cleared).

It may be accompanied by difficulty breathing, and may emit wheezing or sounds when breathing such as whistling and/or rales or crackles, which feel like bubbling or rumbling noises in the lungs.

After a few days the cough becomes a productive cough (with abundant secretion of yellowish and greenish mucus), liquid and later thicker and denser.

In addition, we may feel the child tired and weak, although it is not always accompanied by fever.

When treated medically appropriately, acute bronchitis most commonly disappears little by little, curing within a few days of appearance.

However, symptoms tend to vary depending on the virus that caused the inflammation of the bronchi.

Types of bronchitis

Although acute bronchitis in children is considered the most common type of childhood bronchitis, there are also other types that we must mention on this occasion:

• Acute bronchitis: It is the most common variety, especially among the little ones in the house. It consists of acute inflammation of the bronchi, with the sudden appearance of symptoms.
• Prolonged or subacute bronchitis: This is a type of bronchitis caused by bacteria (that is, a bacterial infection). It can also be common in children, and may be accompanied by inflammation of the paranasal sinuses (sinusitis).
• Chronic bronchitis: It is a type of bronchitis that occurs when the bronchi become inflamed, narrowed and/or remain continuously blocked. That is, it happens when acute bronchitis persists over time. Repetitive episodes occur, and can cause episodes of acute bronchitis - due to viruses or bacteria - 4 to 5 times per year.

What is its difference from bronchiolitis?

Bronchiolitis consists of a respiratory infection that affects the bronchioles, caused mainly by the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), becoming the main etiological agent of this disease.

It is very common in infants, and becomes the first cause of hospitalization in children under two years of age (hospitalizations increase especially in infants under twelve months), especially during winter and early spring, seasons of the year in which epidemics of bronchiolitis occur.

Unlike bronchitis, in bronchiolitis symptoms of obstruction of the lower respiratory tract usually appear. We notice how the infant finds it difficult to breathe, doing so with a lot of work, he is also usually irritable, and it is common to hear wheezing (a squeaky, whistling sound that arises during breathing).

When to visit the pediatrician or go to the emergency room

You should go to the pediatrician's office or visit the Health Center (Emergency) if any of the following circumstances occur:

• If the affected child is less than five months old, has a cold and cough (even if fever has not appeared).
• His breathing is gasping, labored, with wheezing or rales. That is, if the child presents symptoms of respiratory distress.
• The fever is higher than 38 ºC.
• After 3 days the symptoms do not improve.
• Common symptoms are seen in chronic bronchitis.

Can bronchitis in children be prevented? What can parents do?

The truth is that, in infants or small children, the prevention of bronchitis is quite complicated, especially if the child is already enrolled in daycare, kindergarten or schools.

There are pediatricians who advise avoiding nurseries or kindergartens until the child is 3 years old, especially if the child is very predisposed to suffering from bronchitis or has already suffered some episodes previously.

Certain medications can be very useful, but they must be prescribed by the pediatrician and taken under his supervision. For example, in times when the child tends to suffer more seizures, combined low-dose aerosols of corticosteroids applied together with long-acting bronchodilators can be of great help, being useful in reducing chronic inflammation of the bronchi.