Recovery from bronchitis will depend on if it is an acute case or a chronic condition. As acute bronchitis typically develops following a cold or the flu, it can be difficult to distinguish when your diagnosis changes from one illness to the next, especially as the symptoms are so similar. Bronchitis in the acute form will clear up, usually by itself, within a week or two but the cough can often linger on for up to several weeks after the rest of the symptoms have dissipated. Like all illness and injuries, our bodies are all unique and each person’s recovery time will vary. Your overall health, and particularly the health of your lungs, will factor in to how quick or slow your recovery will be. Chronic bronchitis can be a serious medical condition that requires ongoing medical treatment as it increases your risk for bacterial infections in the lungs. It is also a form of chronic obtrusive pulmonary disease (COPD) which is a lung disease that causes breathing difficulties.