What condition is characterized by inflammation of the bronchial tubes, often due to infection?

Acute bronchitis is defined by the inflammation of the bronchial tubes, which are the air passages that lead to the lungs. This condition is typically triggered by viral infections, although bacterial infections can also be a cause. The inflammation results in symptoms such as coughing, which may produce mucus, wheezing, and difficulty breathing. Acute bronchitis is usually self-limiting and resolves within a few weeks, making it distinct from chronic bronchitis, which is characterized by a long-term inflammatory process often due to smoking or environmental irritants and lasts for an extended period.

In contrast, chronic conditions like asthma involve more persistent inflammation and airway hyperreactivity rather than an acute infection. Pneumonia, while also involving inflammation, specifically affects the lung tissue itself and is characterized by symptoms such as fever, chills, and difficulty in breath due to fluid accumulation in the alveoli, rather than primarily affecting the bronchial tubes.