For people with chronic bronchitis, it's important to get early treatment to avoid more severe lung damage and complications. Therefore, recognizing symptoms early and seeing a physician for an accurate diagnosis are important.
Below are common symptoms:
- Persistent cough
- Mucus (also called “sputum”) that can be clear or white
- Chest discomfort or tightness
- Fatigue
- Fever and chills
- Unexplained weight loss
What to Do When Your Cough or Other Symptoms Get Worse
If you have chronic bronchitis, you’re likely to have periods when your cough or other symptoms get worse. When that happens, you may have an acute infection on top of the chronic bronchitis.
See your doctor if your cough:
- Lasts more than 3 weeks
- Makes it hard for you to sleep or prevents you from sleeping
- Is accompanied by fever higher than 100.4 °F (38 °C)
- Produces discolored yellowish-gray or green mucus
- Produces streaks of blood
- Is associated with wheezing (a whistling noise while breathing out) or shortness of breath
Ready for an Appointment?
For an evaluation of your symptoms, request an appointment online or call 800-TEMPLE-MED (800-836-7536).
Learn more about our doctors and care team and how we diagnose and treat chronic bronchitis.
