When your bronchial tubes are irritated, your immune system goes on defense and causes them to swell up and fill with mucus. Coughing is a by-product of this, your body’s way of trying to clear these mucus stores out, and it will remain for as long as there’s buildup and inflammation in your airways. On average, with acute bronchitis, you can expect the cough to last for 1-3 weeks. In addition to this, your body may also experience: • Shortness of breath (dyspnea). • Fever. • Runny nose. • Tiredness (fatigue). • Wheezing While acute bronchitis will usually clear up on its own after a week or so, more severe cases may require medical intervention. If your symptoms aren’t clearing up after a few weeks, are getting worse, or are severely impacting your day-to-day life, book in to see your family doctor at your earliest convenience.