Bronchitis is a respiratory infection that can be caused by a virus or a bacterial infection. People who have acute bronchitis usually experience symptoms including a low grade fever, coughing that brings up mucus and wheezing, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Bronchitis symptoms, such as wheezing, chest tightness and difficulty breathing associated with allergies are the result of allergy-induced asthma. Allergy induced asthma is the most common type of asthma in the United States, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

The bronchial tubes are the main air passages into the lungs. The bronchial tubes swell and become inflamed with the presence of an infection. A bronchial infection occurs after an upper respiratory infection, usually following a cold or occurs from irritants in the environment.

If you have bronchitis, you know that hacking cough is one of the worst parts of the illness. And if you have viral bronchitis, you have got to wait out the illness until the virus clears up.

Bronchitis and whooping cough are two respiratory conditions that have similar symptoms. This similarity makes it particularly challenging to diagnose one over the other. Despite their similar symptoms, the two conditions differ in their causes, their diagnostic testing and their treatment.

Asthma is a condition caused by an overactive immune system. In persons with asthma, the immune system causes inflammation of the airway (the bronchioles), leading to bronchitis. Asthma can be triggered by a number of things, including stress, cold air, exercise and allergies.

Acute bronchitis, commonly known as a chest cold, is a viral or bacterial infection in the bronchial tubes that affects your ability to breathe normally, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A chest cold can last up to two weeks.