Bronchitis acute viral
Viral bronchitis accompanied, outside of cough, other clinical signs indicating an attack viral fever, sore throat, stuffy nose, muscle aches, headache. The cough is often dry and painful at the beginning of the disease then it becomes in a few days, more fat, with mucus. Outside of antitussive medications to reduce cough, antipyretic to fight against the fever drops to lead the nose, mouth wash to reduce the pain of the throat, there is no treatment for treating the infection virus itself. It disappear after a few days. Often a cough persists for several weeks that the patient is frankly sick. It must still seek a secondary bacterial infection or chronic bronchitis which is being established especially if the person smokes.

The acute bacterial bronchitis
If it is a bacterial bronchitis, there are signs of infection with fever, chills, fatigue and signs of lung damage with a cough that is often productive: the sputum is more or less purulent. It is usually due to pneumonia. Sometimes superinfection of viral bronchitis. We must diagnose and prescribe antibiotics for several days.

Chronic bronchitis
It is a chronic inflammation of the bronchi and is usually due to tobacco. In fact, we speak rather of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and no longer bonchite chronic.

Do you smoke?
The first question that is asked before a person has bronchitis, which is lagging behind: “Do you smoke? In fact, tobacco is responsible for many of bronchitis and chronic bronchitis, it causes a chronic irritation of the airways, mucosal fragility and frequent bacterial infections.

So if the symptoms of flu and colds are so alike, how to differentiate?
Although these two diseases are manifested by respiratory symptoms they differ on several points. The general symptoms such as fever and fatigue, are much more important during a flu. While the person who has a cold usually continues to work, the person with influenza is much more often absent from work for a few days, mainly because of the intensity of fatigue.

Moreover fever is usually absent or very slight in a cold, so it can be much more variable during the flu, generally individuals with influenza have a higher fever. by cons, in the very sick, such as the elderly, fever may be absent.

Other symptoms such as headache and abdominal pain are virtually absent during cold but often present in cases of influenza. Colds rarely sends its host hospital while it is relatively common with the flu. Among the complications of influenza, it should be noted as bronchitis, pneumonia, bronchopneumonia and exacerbation of asthma.
These complications of influenza are most often encountered in the elderly, young children and people already struggling with health problems such as:
* Chronic heart disease
* Chronic lung disease (emphysema, chronic bronchitis, etc.)
* Cancer or a receiving chemotherapy
* Chronic renal insufficiency
* Immunosuppressive therapy
* Diabetes
* Etc.

Mortality is not uncommon with the flu, so it is virtually non-existent with the cold. The flu and colds are distinguished as the means of prevention which we can protect and treatments. There is no vaccine for colds when there are several forms of vaccine against influenza. Some antivirals such as Tamiflu and Relenza, can be used to treat the flu and even prevent it in some special situations such as during outbreaks in residential care.

The flu and colds can be prevented by simple means such as by washing hands regularly, covering her mouth with a tissue or the elbow when sneezing or coughing. Wherever possible we must avoid contact with infectious people. A person with influenza is contagious for 24 hours to 5 days after onset of symptoms. When a person is in contact with the virus, the period before the onset of symptoms, or incubation varies from 2 to 3 days.