Most cases of acute bronchitis go away in 2 to 3 weeks. Home treatment may help you feel better.

Home treatment may include:

• Relieving your cough by drinking fluids, using cough drops, and avoiding lung irritants. You may also use nonprescription cough suppressants, which help you stop coughing, and expectorants, which make coughing easier so you can bring up mucus. Research on cough suppressants and expectorants does not show that they stop a cough, but some people might find them helpful. Do not give cough and cold medicines to a child younger than 2 unless your child’s doctor has told you to. If your child’s doctor tells you to give a medicine, be sure to follow what he or she tells you to do.
• Avoiding caffeine and alcohol, which cause you to lose extra fluid from your body and may lead to dehydration.
• Cutting back or stopping smoking, if you smoke.
• Getting enough rest so your body has the energy needed to fight the infection. Generally, you feel better sooner if you rest more than usual while you have acute bronchitis.
• Using nonprescription medication, such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or aspirin, to relieve fever and body aches. Do not give aspirin to anyone younger than age 20.
• Breathing moist air from a humidifier, hot shower, or sink filled with hot water. The heat and moisture can help keep mucus in your airways moist so it can be coughed out easily.

Contact your health professional if your acute bronchitis gets worse, because this may indicate pneumonia. Signs of worsening acute bronchitis include:

• A persistent cough and increasing amounts of mucus being coughed up from the lungs (especially if the mucus is becoming thicker and has more color).
• Shortness of breath.
• Pain in the chest wall.
• Ongoing fever or fever that gets worse.