How long do you stay sick with bronchitis?
The doctor decides individually on the basis of existing findings and the results of the physical examination performed by a doctor whether a sick note is necessary and for how long it should be issued. Frequently, patients are initially put on sick leave for a few days. If necessary, the certificate of incapacity for work can be extended after a medical follow-up and a new physical examination.
When can I start exercising again if I have bronchitis?
In the acute phase of the disease, sporting activity should be avoided if possible and the body should be allowed to rest so that it can recover. If the affected person feels fit enough, however, a relaxed walk, for example, is quite possible. However, if the symptoms are more severe, such as fever, sports should be avoided as a matter of principle. As a rule, bronchitis is overcome after about two weeks and when all symptoms have subsided, training can be resumed.
Duration of antibiotic use in bronchitis
Depending on the antibiotic selected, the preparation should normally be taken over a period of five to seven days, or the pack should always be used up completely. Because if you stop taking the antibiotic prematurely because the symptoms improve, antibiotic-resistant bacteria can develop. It is important that you take the medicine regularly, in sufficient doses and with plenty of water over this period.
How long have you been contagious?
The risk of infection of acute bronchitis is greatest in the first days when the symptoms of the disease are particularly severe. However, it can also be assumed that there is a risk of infection during the period when mucus is produced and coughed up. Some scientists also suspect that people who are affected can be contagious one or two days before the first symptoms appear. However, bronchitis is usually over within two weeks, and by this time at the latest, the risk of infection has been eliminated.
Duration of incubation period
The incubation period describes the time between infection with a pathogen and the actual appearance of the first symptoms of the disease and is approximately 2 to 7 days in the case of acute bronchitis caused by viruses. The incubation period for bacteria depends on the individual bacterial strain and can be one to several days in the case of pneumococci, and ten to twenty days in the case of mycoplasmas.
All articles in this series:
