What is the cause of bronchitis?

Not Medical Advice:

Bronchitis is when the tubes that carry air to the lungs are inflamed and irritated. When this happens, those tubes may swell and produce mucus, causing you to cough.

Bronchitis is typically caused by a virus; often a person may get acute bronchitis after having an upper respiratory tract infection like a cold or flu, though, while less common, acute bronchitis may also be caused by bacteria.

Sometimes breathing in things that irritate the bronchial tubes, like smoke, can cause bronchitis, as can inhaling food or vomit into the lungs.

EveryDayHealth.com offers 10 Tips for Managing Chronic Bronchitis.

Most people with bronchitis recover at home, by themselves, but if it becomes severe, professional help should be sought. Backstreet Boys' Nick Carter recently made the news when he tweeted about a show cancellation in the UK "@nickcarter: So sorry that couldn't do the show today in somerset UK. I was in the hospital with severe bronchitis, trying to get well. Wish I was there."