With peak cold and flu season among us, it is important to be aware of your health. Bronchitis is a serious complication that can develop as the result of a viral infection such as a cold or the flu. Understand common symptoms of bronchitis so that you can identify the symptoms early and seek medical treatment. If you think you may have the flu or are suffering from bronchitis, AFC Urgent Care Arvada offers same-day rapid illness diagnosis and treatment.
Causes & Symptoms of Bronchitis vs Flu
In order to understand the differences between the flu and bronchitis, it is important to understand what causes them. The flu is a viral infection that is caused by the Influenza virus. It is contracted through breathing in germs, touching the same surface, or directly coming in contact with an infected person. This means that it is highly contagious from person to person.
Symptoms of the Flu:
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Body aches
- Chills
- Sore throat
- Cough
- Congestion
Bronchitis is often also caused by a virus, but it can also be caused by a bacterial infection. While you directly contract the Influenza virus to get the flu, bronchitis originates as a secondary infection. This means that someone who has an illness, such as the flu, can develop bronchitis if their symptoms go untreated due to stress on the bronchial tubes in your lung from the primary infection.
Symptoms of Bronchitis:
- Fatigue
- Chest pain/congestion
- Productive cough
- Discolored mucus
- Wheezing when breathing
How to Prevent Illness This Winter
The easiest way to help you stay healthy this winter is to prevent illnesses altogether. Although getting sick is sometimes inevitable, staying hydrated and getting enough rest can help improve your immunity before flu season. Getting your annual flu shot is also a simple way to reduce the likelihood of developing severe illness from the flu or secondary illnesses such as bronchitis. Generally, maintaining proper hygiene like hand washing, carrying hand sanitizer and disinfecting spaces regularly can help kill viruses before they can infect you.
Due to the flu being caused by a virus, there is no medical treatment or medication that can cure the flu. Similarly, because the majority of bronchitis cases result from a viral infection, there is little medical treatment available to help resolve the infection. Instead, your body has to fight off the infection on its own. This is why prevention is key to ensuring that you avoid both the flu and bronchitis this cold and flu season.
Get Walk-In Illness Diagnosis & Treatment Near Arvada, CO at AFC Urgent Care Arvada
The flu and bronchitis are their own unique illnesses with their own unique symptoms. However, flu prevention not only will help keep you from getting the flu this winter, but it will also lessen your risk of developing secondary illnesses like bronchitis. At AFC Urgent Care Arvada, we offer a variety of preventative healthcare services like flu shots in addition to rapid illness diagnosis and treatment.
If you have illness symptoms, walk into AFC Urgent Care Arvada for fast and reliable healthcare. We never require you to have an appointment to receive care from our board-certified medical professionals, simply walk into our clinic. We accept most medical insurance plans and offer affordable treatment options. For additional questions regarding our clinic, please contact us directly.
