Lungs play a major role in our body, especially for respiration function. It looks like a pair of spongy, air-filled organs situated on the chest side. Each lung is divided into four major parts, such as windpipe, bronchi, bronchioles, and alveoli. Having that said, pneumonia, as well as bronchitis, are an inflammatory condition that affects one of these parts of the lungs.
Bronchitis vs Pneumonia
The main difference between bronchitis and pneumonia is that bronchitis causes inflammation in the bronchi part, the large and medium-sized airways in the lungs. In contrast, pneumonia is an inflammatory condition that is prone to the alveoli, small air sacs that are present in the lungs.
Bronchitis is also an inflammatory condition that affects the large as well as medium-sized airways, bronchi of the lungs. It causes mucus coughing, wheezing, breathlessness, and chest discomfort. Besides viral infection, as it’s a spur, bronchitis can be caused due to exposure to tobacco smoke, dusty and other air pollutants as well.
Pneumonia causes inflammation to the alveoli, small air sacs that are present in the lungs. Pneumonia occurs due to contagious viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms. Cough, breathlessness or wheezing, fever are a few symptoms of pneumonia. Sometimes, it leads to other risk factors, such as sickle cell disease, asthma, diabetes, heart issues, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, cystic fibrosis, and a weak immune system.
Comparison Table Between Bronchitis and Pneumonia
| Parameters of Comparison | Bronchitis | Pneumonia |
| Definition | Bronchitis is either a chronic or acute infectious disease that brews an inflammatory condition in the bronchi part of the lung. | Pneumonia is an inflammation of the alveoli, which is formed fluid in small or tiny sacs in the lungs. |
| Etymology | bronchitis is derived from the Latin word Bronchus as the windpipe. | Pneumonia is derived from the modern Latin as Pneumon, which states inflammation of the lungs. |
| Symptoms | Bronchitis is apparent when the person has these kinds of symptoms like- Cough, cold & chills feeling, fatigue, chest discomfort, shortness of breath, mild headache, and body pains. | Chest pain, Lack of breath, drowsiness, erratic feeling, diarrhea, fever, nausea, vomiting, and severe cold. |
| Causes | Bronchitis is highly caused by the consumption of substances-smoking, tobacco, and other noxious air pollution. As an infectious disease, bronchitis is caused by flu or its own virus. | Pneumonia is caused by a highly fatal infection, virus, or bacteria that directly ominous the lungs. Apart from that, it is also caused by chain-smoking, high counts of diabetes, cystic fibrosis, asthma, or any other pulmonary diseases. |
| Treatment | It can be cured if it is acute bronchitis by using inhalers or any cold-impeded mediation prescribed by professionals. Besides, Chronic Bronchitis may take an aeon to overcome by taking regular pulmonary rehab medicals in order to digress the addiction. | Pneumonia can be treated well by having antibiotics, cold-resistance medicine, and pain relief medicines, etc. |
What is Bronchitis?
Speaking of which, an inflammatory condition in the bronchi part of the lungs is called Bronchitis. This infectious disease can be either chronic or acute, depending upon the symptoms that affected patients go through. Mostly, the signs of chronic bronchitis include coughing up mucus, fatigue, breathlessness, moderate fever or chills, and chest discomforts that could last for several months or years. Besides, acute conditions might cause mild headaches or body pains, which can last several weeks.
Bronchitis is caused by contagious viruses or bacteria of the same type that causes flu. As of now, no robust antibiotics have been invented to fight these deadly viruses yet. Additionally, Bronchitis can be caused due to frequent exposure to tobacco smoke, dusty and other air pollutants. Smoking cigarettes is especially one of the main reasons that cause chronic Bronchitis.
Over and above, unlike chronic Bronchitis, acute Bronchitis can be subdued with the help of cold-resistant medication and inhalers. However, chronic bronchitis sufferers can take up pulmonary rehabilitation programs that help them to breathe and live a bit more efficiently.
What is Pneumonia?
Pneumonia causes inflammation to the alveoli by filling pus or fluid in these small air sacs that are present in the lungs. From mild pneumonia to life-threatening pneumonia, any age group is prone to this. Most of the symptoms of pneumonia are chest ache, mentally unstable, severe cough, fatigue, fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, exhaustion, and breathlessness.
Furthermore, all these signs of pneumonia are possible to last longer than they are expected. On the other hand, Pneumonia is caused by contagious germs such as viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms that directly attack the lungs. Sometimes, smoking cigarettes leads to other risk factors, such as sickle cell disease, asthma, diabetes, heart issues, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, cystic fibrosis, and a weak immune system.
Moreover, many other virus target the lungs, ultimately making it more serious for that person to undergo treatments. However, treatments are enforced to prevent the complexities of pneumonia, such as antibiotics, cough medicines, pain relievers, and sometimes hospitalizing the patients is regarded as a better option to mitigate the pneumonia complications.
Main Differences Between Bronchitis and Pneumonia
- Bronchitis is an inflammatory, infectious malady formed in the bronchitis part of the lungs, Whereas Pneumonia is an inflammation of alveoli that occurs in the small sacs of the lungs as a fluid or pus.
- Bronchitis is derived from the Late Latin Greek work ‘Bronchus’ as a windpipe. On the other hand, Pneumonia is extracted from the modern Latin Greek work ‘Pneumon’ as inflammation of the lungs.
- Bronchitis can be categorized as chronic and acute, where chronic Bronchitis has symptoms of cough, fever, chest discomfort, fatigue, lack of breathing. Besides, Acute Bronchitis is reflected by extreme body pains or headaches etc. Albeit, Pneumonia shows the symptoms of drowsiness, exhaustion, severe cold & chills, diarrhea, vomiting and chest pain.
- Bronchitis is a treatable disease where acute just ephemeral, and Chronic Bronchitis takes time by taking frequent rehabilitation programs. Meanwhile, Pneumonia is quite curable just by taking medicines prescribed by the doctors.
- Bronchitis is caused by the consumption of noxious substances or any other contentious infection like flu. Notwithstanding, Pneumonia is caused by smoking, diabetes, asthma, pulmonary diseases etc.
Conclusion
Bronchitis and pneumonia is a disease that presents mostly in the lungs. Bronchitis is an inflammatory, infectious disease that can be chronic or acute that depends on the symptoms faced by an individual. Chronic Bronchitis takes time to cure by attending regular rehab programs, and acute Bronchitis can be treated in the short term by some cold-resistance prescription. Pneumonia is an inflammation of the alveoli which fills in the small sacs of the lung as fluid or pus. It is caused by substance use, diabetes, penumory disease or severe cold. Moreover, Pneumonia is curable by consuming medicines such as antibiotics. Pneumonia is derived from the modern Latin Greek work ‘Penumon’ as the inflammation of tissues of the lungs.
References
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012369215421518
- https://europepmc.org/article/med/23839317