Prompt Treatment for Bronchitis Symptoms in Waterbury, CT
Do you have a cough that just won’t go away? Are you continuously coughing up mucus? If so, you may have a common condition called bronchitis. Bronchitis occurs when the lining of your bronchial tubes—which carry air to and from your lungs—becomes inflamed. It often develops by way of a cold or another respiratory infection.
What Are the Symptoms of Bronchitis?
The most common symptom of bronchitis is a stubborn cough, which may begin as a dry cough that gradually starts to produce mucus. This cough can last from 10 days to several weeks.
It’s important to promptly seek treatment for bronchitis symptoms if your cough:
- Produces blood or discolored mucus
- Is accompanied by a fever higher than 100.4°F
- Is preventing you from sleeping
- Hasn’t gone away after three weeks
- Makes you wheeze or have shortness of breath
Other telltale symptoms of bronchitis include fatigue, sore throat, muscle aches, chills, and wheezing.
Should I Go to Urgent Care If I Have Bronchitis?
PhysicianOne Urgent Care in Waterbury, Connecticut, is a convenient and affordable place to visit for bronchitis treatment any day of the year. Our highly trained practitioners will take careful note of your symptoms and may recommend a chest X-ray or pulmonary function test to determine if your symptoms are due to another condition, such as pneumonia, asthma, or allergies. We can complete these diagnostic tests right in our urgent care facility to provide the quick answers you deserve.
Some severe cases of bronchitis should be treated in a hospital setting. Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately if you or someone around you experiences:
- Trouble breathing
- Loss of consciousness
- Chest pain
What Does Bronchitis Treatment Involve?
Bronchitis is typically caused by a virus, which means the infection can’t necessarily be cured. Instead, the virus must simply run its course over the course of a few days or weeks. Most cases of bronchitis clear up in about 10 days, although some people may have a lingering cough for a bit longer. Your medical practitioner will likely recommend over-the-counter cough medication to help you sleep better at night while you wait for the infection to clear up.
Your best course of bronchitis treatment will depend on several factors, including the severity of your symptoms, your overall health, and what type of bronchitis you have. There are two main types of bronchitis:
Acute Bronchitis Treatment
The most common type, acute bronchitis typically results from another viral respiratory infection and clears in one to two weeks. Treatment for acute bronchitis largely consists of medications to help ease symptoms and self-care measures that can promote a healthy immune response, such as getting plenty of rest and staying hydrated.
Chronic Bronchitis Treatment
Chronic bronchitis is a type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)—a group of lung disorders that impede airflow and make it difficult to breath. Almost all cases of COPD are caused by smoking. While treatment can help reduce chronic bronchitis symptoms and improve quality of life, this condition and other types of COPD cannot be reversed.
Bronchitis & COVID-19
If you’re worried that your suspected bronchitis symptoms may actually be a sign of COVID-19, you can confidently turn to PhysicianOne Urgent Care for evaluation and testing. It’s very difficult to tell these illnesses apart by symptoms alone, so taking a test is usually necessary to rule out COVID-19.
Bronchitis & Pneumonia
Bronchitis and pneumonia are both lung infections, but they affect different areas and cause varying symptoms. While bronchitis occurs in the bronchial tubes, pneumonia affects the lung’s alveoli—the small air sacs where oxygen enters the blood. Bronchitis may also develop into pneumonia if it is left untreated.
The symptoms of pneumonia tend to be more severe than bronchitis and feel more like a whole-body illness rather than a respiratory infection. In addition to a stubborn cough, people with pneumonia may also experience nausea and vomiting.
Why Choose PhysicianOne Urgent Care for Bronchitis Treatment?
PhysicianOne Urgent Care provides prompt bronchitis treatment at our modern and comfortable location in Waterbury. You can walk in any day of the year to receive the medical attention you need or schedule a 24/7 Virtual Visit to have your symptoms evaluated over a secure videoconferencing platform any time of day or night. Our fully equipped urgent care center makes it simple to receive timely treatment with extended hours every day and brief wait times. Plus, we accept most health insurance plans and offer sensible self-pay rates. Come see us today!
