What is tracheitis, is it contagious or not? These are the issues that today's article will be devoted to.
General information
Tracheitis is called inflammation in the mucous membrane of such an organ as the trachea. This disease can occur in both chronic and acute form. The causes of this deviation are most often various bacteria and viruses. Tracheitis (whether it is infectious or not, we will find out later) can also occur as a result of inhalation of dry, very polluted or cold air.
Symptoms of the disease
Such a pathological condition can cause a patient to have a dry, and rarely a wet cough, which is extremely painful and most intense during a night's sleep. Acute tracheitis is often accompanied by other respiratory diseases. These include laryngitis, rhinitis, pharyngitis and even inflammation of the bronchi.
Tracheitis: contagious or not?
This question very often arises among those who have such a disease, as well as those who surround the patient during this difficult period for him. It is worth noting that it is possible to think about whether tracheitis is contagious only if the virus is the cause of the disease.
Like other infections, such a disease is transmitted from one person to another by airborne droplets. In addition, acute tracheitis is contagious for those who use the same household items as the patient (for example, a towel, dishes, etc.).
What will happen if not treated?
Respiratory and adenoviruses can first affect the laryngeal mucosa, where laryngitis will develop later. If the disease is not properly treated on time, then the infection will gradually affect the tracheal membrane, as a result of which a person will have a strong and suffocating cough. A patient diagnosed with tracheitis is contagious, and he can easily transmit the virus to his close people or colleagues, even just being around.
Particularly high susceptibility to infection are small children and schoolchildren whose immune system is not so strong as to fight a heavy virus.
Thus, by asking your doctor if tracheitis is contagious or not, you may well hear an affirmative answer. After all, today there are many types of virus that cause a relapse of this disease.
How long does the illness last?
As a rule, such a disease is quite “resistant” to treatment. The patient’s recovery period and the period of the disease depends on the form of the inflammatory process (acute or chronic). It is also worth noting that the state of human immunity also affects the duration of this pathology. In addition, the sooner therapy begins, the faster the patient will recover.
The prognosis of acute tracheitis is more favorable. So, tracheal disease with timely and proper treatment disappears after about two weeks. But this is provided if the disease is not complicated by any problems with the bronchi. How long chronic tracheitis lasts is much more difficult to predict. However, a comprehensive and effectively selected therapy can heal the patient within a month after the start of treatment.