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USA Today
12-03-2025
- Health
- USA Today
What is bronchitis, and is it contagious?
What is bronchitis, and is it contagious? Show Caption Hide Caption Spring allergy survival guide: Expert tips to breathe easier Cleveland Clinic's Dr. Sandra Hong gives some tips on how to beat spring allergies. About one in 20 people experience bronchitis every year, despite it being a respiratory infection no one wants. Its most common symptoms include wheezing, chest tightness, low fever, fatigue, shortness of breath "and an irritating cough that may last anywhere from days to a couple of weeks," says Dr. Jason Nagata, a pediatrician at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in San Francisco. Though such symptoms are uncomfortable for everyone, they can be more serious in babies, young children, the elderly and the immunocompromised. Bronchitis can even be deadly as some 350 people in the U.S. die from the illness every year, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Here's what causes bronchitis, how the illness usually spreads and how you can treat symptoms if it affects you or a loved one. What causes bronchitis? Bronchitis is a respiratory illness that occurs when the airways leading into your lungs get irritated, Nagata explains, which leads to the swelling and mucus buildup that causes difficulty breathing. Different factors cause this lung irritation to occur, depending on the type of bronchitis one is dealing with. Individuals suffering from what's called acute or viral bronchitis get the illness from viruses such as RSV, coronavirus, the common cold (rhinovirus) and influenza. The other main form of bronchitis is called chronic bronchitis. It's usually caused by long-term exposure to environmental irritants such as cigarette smoke, chemicals, allergens, air pollution and dust, explains Dr. Kunal Bakshi, a primary care physician at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Bronchitis can also be caused by bacteria like streptococcus pneumoniae and medical conditions such as GERD or COPD. Is bronchitis contagious? Understanding the different types of bronchitis can also be helpful in understanding when the illness is and isn't contagious. Chronic bronchitis caused by environmental irritants, for instance, is not contagious. But acute or viral bronchitis is. "Viral bronchitis can be spread from person to person by inhaling droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks," says Nagata. The viruses that cause bronchitis can also be spread by touching an object or surface that has the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose or eyes. Getting vaccinated against viruses like the coronavirus and influenza can help provide protection against viral bronchitis—as can washing your hands frequently, avoiding close contact with people who are sick and keeping your immune system healthy with a well-balanced diet and plenty of exercise. How to treat bronchitis In healthy people, bronchitis usually goes away on its own within a week or two with "plenty of rest and drinking lots of water," says Nagata. In the meantime, symptoms can be treated with over-the-counter drugs such as cough suppressants, nasal sprays and pain medicines like as ibuprofen and acetaminophen. "Using a humidifier may also help alleviate symptoms," says Nagata. Such at-home treatments are all that is usually required, "but you should see a healthcare provider if your cough lasts more than two to three weeks, worsens or causes difficulty breathing," advises Nagata. In such cases, a doctor can determine if there's another underlying issue at play and recommend additional medical interventions. These may include an oxygen supply to make breathing easier and specific medications. Antibiotics are rarely recommended to treat acute bronchitis, however, "as the main cause of the infection is viral in nature," says Bakshi, and antibiotics are only designed to target and kill bacteria, not viruses. But he adds that antiviral medicines are sometimes recommended to treat specific bronchitis-causing viruses such as COVID-19 or the flu.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Cleveland Clinic introduces Ambience AI technology
CLEVELAND (WJW) – The field of medicine is always advancing and so is patient care. One of the next steps forward is coming through AI integration into hospital systems. The Cleveland Clinic is announcing it is moving forward with steps to improve patient experience and care by introducing Ambience AI into its network, a listening and notation focused technology. 'I think that AI is absolutely fantastic in this realm,' Cleveland Clinic Main Campus Chair of Allergy and Immunology Sandra Hong, MD said. 'I think everyone wins in this case.' Woman buys 'wrong' lottery ticket, but 'got over' it after winning $2M Hong said this new system is easy to use and will increase efficiency for both doctor and patient, streamlining the note taking and summary process during visits. The info is quickly added to 'MyChart' after the visit is concluded. 'All it does is we use our phones, and we will actually just hit record and then it just sits on the table between us and we're able to just talk about what brought you into the office,' Hong said. 'At the end, we actually put in some diagnoses. We actually hit a button and then it creates the note based on our conversation.' The AI tech does not diagnose or treat any disease or medical condition, but it should free up the care provider to be more attentive and engaged. 'You hopefully won't see your doctors, or the nurse practitioner that are seeing you, writing or typing anymore,' she said. 'The goal is so that they can focus entirely on you and be able to kind of really delve into it as opposed to hunting and pecking on that computer keyboard. I think there is the potential for more detailed notes… and the accuracy should be fantastic.' The Cleveland Clinic said it tested this new system with a pilot program in 2024, making sure it works for more than 80 specialties and subspecialties. Akron Public Schools: Temporary staff member brought gun to Hyre CLC Dr. Hong said it's already helping to reduce burnout within the network and expects to see it used in other hospital systems soon. 'It's really wonderful of the Cleveland Clinic to actually do this, because I think that, again, everybody benefits from it,' she said. 'I think the care, the potential for care to be even better and more personalized is there.' The technology will also be rolled out to ambulatory Cleveland Clinic providers in the U.S. in phases over the next several months. Hong said privacy and security are also top priorities and the new system is safe. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
09-02-2025
- Climate
- USA Today
Spring will start in Mississippi soon. Here's what AccuWeather is predicting
Spring will start in Mississippi soon. Here's what AccuWeather is predicting Show Caption Hide Caption Looking ahead to early 2025 spring forecast Forecasters look ahead and break down the early 2025 spring forecast, breaking down the weather patterns for each region of the United States. Millions of people across the U.S. can expect more winter weather, including snow, leading into early spring, according to the AccuWeather forecast for the season. Meteorologists noted some parts of the northeast can expect frosts into early May. But what about Mississippi? Weather forecasts call for higher than average temperatures in the Deep South. That likely means more severe weather than normal, including storms and tornadoes, on top of the high pollen count we've all come to expect. Here's what you need to know about the long-range forecast for Mississippi this spring. Be ready for wet weather. Have an emergency plan in place for severe storms. And maybe stock up on allergy meds? When does spring start? Meteorological spring beings March 1. But astronomical spring kicks off with the equinox at 4:01 a.m. CT Thursday, March 20. What does AccuWeather say about spring in Mississippi? This spring will be similar to last year's. Most of Mississippi can look for temperatures to climb two to three degrees over normal, and the northeast corner of the state can look for a one or two degree increase. The south and parts of the central U.S. can expect more frequent storms and tornadoes as the season progresses. AccuWeather long-range expert Paul Pastelok said the center for the most destructive storms this year will be over the Mississippi Valley and Tennessee Valley more than Tornado Alley. March should have fewer twisters, but expect a ramp up into April and May. Still, a few early spring outbreaks are possible. What's going on with La Niña? The National Weather Service says there's a weak La Niña heading into spring. The system is expected to stay through April but could phase out as early as March. Mississippi will likely be able to expect above-average temperatures and near-average precipitation amounts. The northern third of the state might get a little more rain, and about the southern quarter can likely expect slight less rainfall than average. Spring is a severe allergy season In addition to more thunderstorms and tornadoes, increased temperatures can bring higher pollen counts paired with earlier, longer pollen seasons. When it comes to annual tree and grass allergies, parts of Mississippi were registering medium-high counts at in January. By mid-March 2024, the whole state was a red zone, with a high pollen count. Story continues below video. Spring allergy survival guide: Expert tips to breathe easier Cleveland Clinic's Dr. Sandra Hong gives some tips on how to beat spring allergies. March average temperatures in Mississippi These are the March average temperatures for the Jackson, Hattiesburg, Tupelo and Gulfport areas for 2020-24, according to data from the National Weather Service. Jackson 2020: 60.5. 2021: 62.1. 2022: 57.3. 2023: 62.1 2024: 60.5 Hattiesburg 2020: 67.9 2021: 61.8. 2022: 59.9. 2023: 64.2. 2024: 61.4 Tupelo 2020: 61.4. 2021: 59.8. 2022: 56.6. 2023: 57.5. 2024: 57.7. Gulfport 2020: 69.4. 2021: 64.4. 2022: 61.7. 2023: 65.4. 2024: 63.7. When every full moon shines in 2025: Dates, times for MS and the history behind each name What is the longest day of the year in 2025? The longest day of the year, meaning the one with the most sunlight, will be Friday, June 20, 2025. The shortest day with the longest night will be on Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. Will we have daylight saving in 2025? Trump wants to get rid of it Every year, daylight saving starts on the second Sunday in March. "Spring forward" is set for Sunday, March 9, 2025. After losing an hour of sleep early in the year, people will get a later sunrise and sunset until autumn. The return to standard time, or "fall back," is set for Sunday, Nov. 2. Supporters say the change cuts energy costs and adds more productive daylight hours to the calendar. But some health experts say the change twice a year is hard on our bodies. "The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn't!" he posted on his social media site Truth Social in December. "Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation." The GOP has majority control in the House and the Senate. Changes to daylight saving have to be adopted by Congress. There are currently two bills suggesting making the change to daylight saving permanent, meaning there would be no "fall back." Both Senate Bill 29 and House Resolution 139 are called the Sunshine Protection Act of 2025. If passed, sunrise and sunset would come later during winter. Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with Gannett/USA Today. Email her at bbolden@
