Patients get sick throughout the winter season. Whether it is from the flu or a similar type of seasonal illness, a cough can lead to a lot of pain and irritation if you don’t identify the root cause. A cough can develop from a variety of factors, which means that learning the key causes and symptoms of cough and similar conditions can help patients get the care they need ASAP.

If you have any questions about seasonal illness, please consult AFC Urgent Care Fairfield to address all of your immediate healthcare needs. We can not only help diagnose the cause of sudden illnesses, but we can also treat immediate symptoms. This is not limited to anytime you have a cough.

A cough itself is usually the cause of a bacteria or virus that your body is trying to fight off. When infected, the respiratory system tries to expunge any potential germs or invasive diseases that lead to detrimental symptoms. But what should patients know about their immediate cough? How can they treat a sudden cough?

What causes a patient’s cough?

A cough can be caused by sudden and minor illnesses (acute) or by long-term and serious health conditions (chronic diseases), according to the Mayo Clinic. The leading causes of a patient’s cough is usually a seasonal illness including Common cold, Influenza (flu), inhalation of an irritant or pollutant, pneumonia, or whooping cough; a contagious respiratory infection.

However, the more serious illnesses that are likely to cause a patient’s cough includes Allergies, Asthma (most common in children), Bronchitis, Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Postnasal drip,  sinus pain, and other significant medical conditions.

Self-care for a potential cough

Since cough is usually the sign of a seasonal medical condition, many patients can take a few actions in order to curb their cough right at home. The types of self-care that are effective in curbing a potential cough include the following:

• Use cough drops or relievers to ease cough irritation
• Drink plenty of fluids, especially water
• Avoid tobacco smoke or other types of smoke, smog, pollution

However, if a cough continues to worsen then it may be time to visit an urgent care center to get immediate cough treatment at an urgent care center. On-site staff can provide immediate symptom relief and suggest treatment options for other specialty services. Almost all patients are going to experience a cough that can’t be treated at home. Make sure when that happens that you know where you nearest urgent care provider is located!