Chest Cold vs. Bronchitis?

What is the difference between a chest cold and Bronchitis. I went to the doctor today and they said I had bronchitis. Is this just some medical term for a chest cold?

I have asthma also is this why my doctor decided to give me antibiotics?

Colds are caused by a virus and can occur year-round. The common cold generally involves a runny nose, nasal congestion, and sneezing. Other symptoms include sore throat, cough, and headache. A cold usually lasts about 7 days, with perhaps a few lingering symptoms such as a cough for another week.

Bronchitis is inflammation of the large airways that branch off the trachea (bronchi), usually caused by infection but sometimes caused by irritation from a gas or particle.

Symptoms lasting up to 90 days are usually classified as acute bronchitis; symptoms lasting longer, sometimes for months or years, are usually classified as chronic bronchitis. When chronic bronchitis also decreases airflow, it is considered a defining characteristic of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

No. Bronchitis is a very serious virus, It's a good thing you went to the doctor, pneumonia could have been next.

A cold is caused by a virus and coughing is usually a symptom. However, bronchitis is caused by a bacterial infection. A cold will usually produce a dry cough, but bronchitis is a very productive cough with thick, greenish-yellowish sputum. It requires antibiotics in order to be cured. The cold can't be cured, but the symptoms can be treated.

Just when you thought you were finally over a cold, your chest starts to feel sore and you develop an irritating cough. Later, you might get the chills or a slight fever.

If these signs and symptoms sound familiar, you might have acute bronchitis, a condition that occurs when the inner walls that line the main air passageways of your lungs become infected and inflamed. Bronchitis often follows a respiratory infection such as a cold. And just as most people get occasional colds, virtually everyone has bronchitis at least once.

Exactly. I've all but stopped using the term "bronchitis" in talking with my patients, since it seems to generate a desire on their part for antibiotics or some other ridiculous and unnecessary prescription. For doctors with a "do something even if it's wrong" mindset, it's used as an excuse to give antibiotics for a cold. I should put in here a little disclaimer. The antibiotic of choice for bronchitis in general is nothing, but it is appropriate to use one in a few special circumstances.