Bronchitis vs. Pneumonia: What Are the Differences?

If you’ve experienced a lingering cough that seems to come from deep in your chest, you may have wondered whether you have bronchitis or pneumonia.

Given how many symptoms the two respiratory conditions have in common, it’s not surprising that bronchitis is often mistaken for pneumonia, and vice versa, explains Ralph Gonzales, MD, the associate dean of clinical innovation and chief innovation officer at the University of San Francisco Health and an internal medicine specialist. “What we call bronchitis may sometimes be pneumonia,” he says.

Read on to learn more about the similarities and differences between bronchitis and pneumonia, including the treatment methods, and what you can do to stop bronchitis from turning into pneumonia.

Bronchitis vs. Pneumonia: What Are the Differences and Similarities?

• Cough (often accompanied by the production of mucus)
• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath that can get worse when you’re active
• Fever and chills

Bronchitis can also cause chest discomfort and wheezing.

• Excessive sweating and clammy skin
• Sharp pain in the chest, especially when breathing deeply or coughing
• Headache
• Loss of appetite
• Lack of energy
• Confusion
• Nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting

While the symptoms of bronchitis or pneumonia can range from mild to serious enough to require hospitalization, symptoms such as fever, breathing problems, and chest pain tend to be more severe with pneumonia.

Can Bronchitis Turn Into Pneumonia?

While bronchitis and pneumonia both involve chest inflammation, they are separate and different conditions that happen independently of each other. This means one doesn’t necessarily cause the other, explains Fernando Holguin, MD, a professor of medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and the director of the asthma clinical research program at the Center for Lungs and Breathing at the University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora. “And you can have both bronchitis and pneumonia at the same time,” Dr. Holguin says.

That said, in some cases bronchitis does turn into pneumonia. This occurs when the infection spreads from the bronchial tubes to the lungs — or if a secondary infection occurs. While either scenario is rare, it tends to happen more often in people who have a weakened immune system or another condition that makes them more susceptible to infection.

• Those with a weakened immune system
• Smokers
• Individuals who have a chronic health condition, such as heart, kidney, or liver disease
• People with an underlying lung disease
• Older adults
• Young children
• Pregnant women

While doctors aren’t sure exactly how having a viral infection may make someone more prone to developing pneumonia or another secondary infection, studies have pointed to some theories.

Call your doctor or healthcare provider if you have a persistent cough, fever, or shortness of breath, especially if you have a preexisting health condition.

• High fever (higher than 100.4 degrees F) that lasts at least a couple of days
• Chest pain (especially if it develops suddenly and is on one side — a common sign of pneumonia)
• Bloody mucus
• Cough that lasts more than three weeks
• Shortness of breath, even with only mild or moderate activities
• Shaking chills
• Rapid breathing (breathing faster to try to get air)
• Drowsiness or confusion

In addition to reviewing your symptoms, your doctor may use a simple chest X-ray to diagnose pneumonia.

What Can I Do to Stop Bronchitis From Turning Into Pneumonia?

You can also try to prevent getting a secondary infection by taking care of yourself and treating your bronchitis symptoms.

Treating acute bronchitis includes these actions:

• Getting enough sleep and staying rested
• Consuming fluids and staying hydrated
• Not smoking, and minimizing your exposure to secondhand smoke
• Avoiding using house cleaning products until you recover
• Avoiding strenuous exercise for a few days
• Avoiding cold air, which, like certain chemicals, can be irritating to your airway passages
• Using a humidifier
• Taking cough drops or throat lozenges to soothe your throat
  

Treatment of pneumonia that has developed after bronchitis can vary depending on factors like age, severity of symptoms, and medical history. “If your symptoms are severe, your doctor may recommend hospitalization,” says Holguin.

• Drinking plenty of fluids, which can help loosen phlegm and clear it out of your body
• Getting lots of rest (not going to work and enlisting someone to help with household chores)
• Taking ibuprofen (Advil) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) for fever or chest pain
• Follow your oxygen level with a pulse oximeter and let your doctor know if it falls below 93 percent

• Oxygen therapy and other breathing treatments
• Fluids (possibly intravenously as well as by mouth)
• Antimicrobial agents (either antibiotics or antiviral medications)

• Bronchitis and pneumonia are both conditions that cause chest inflammation and share similar symptoms. These include coughing, wheezing, and a shortness of breath.
• The main difference is that they impact different areas of the respiratory system.
• Bronchitis can also lead to pneumonia. If your bronchitis symptoms worsen or last a long time, you should consult a doctor. They can help you with a diagnosis to determine whether you have pneumonia. To tell the difference between the two, your doctor usually needs to do a chest X-ray.
• To reduce your risk of infection, wash your hands regularly and get age-appropriate vaccinations.