Acute bronchitis medical therapy

Overview
Acute bronchitis may be treated through multiple pharmacologic regimens such as antibiotics and antihistamine.

Antibiotics
In most cases, acute bronchitis is caused by viruses, not bacteria and it will go away on its own without antibiotics. To treat acute bronchitis that appears to be caused by a bacterial infection, or as a precaution, antibiotics may be given. However, a meta-analysis found that antibiotics may reduce symptoms by one-half day.

Antihistamines
Using over-the-counter antihistamines may be harmful in the self-treatment of bronchitis.

An effect of antihistamines is to thicken mucus secretions. Expelling infected mucus via coughing can be beneficial in recovering from bronchitis. Expulsion of the mucus may be hindered if it is thickened. Antihistamines can help bacteria to persist and multiply in the lungs by increasing its residence time in a warm, moist environment of thickened mucus.

Using antihistamines along with an expectorant cough syrup may be doubly harmful: encouraging the production of mucus and then thickening that which is produced. Using an expectorant cough syrup alone might be useful in flushing bacteria from the lungs. Using an antihistamine along with it works against the intention of using the expectorant.