A cough is a common symptom of many ailments, ranging in severity. Some illnesses, such as asthma and pneumonia, need medical attention. But a cough can also be a symptom of a cold, which does not require a doctor’s visit. Here are some of the reasons you may be experiencing a cough, when it’s necessary to seek treatment, and what you can expect when you go to an
urgent care center.
Common reasons for a lingering cough
Many illnesses may cause a lingering cough, including a cold, pneumonia, bronchitis, allergies, asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
A cold is typically accompanied by other symptoms like sneezing, runny or stuffy nose, headaches, sore throat, and fatigue. Colds don’t usually require medical attention and clear up after a few days. If your cold symptoms persist longer than a week, you may need to seek medical attention.
Bronchitis symptoms usually mimic a cold, but you may also cough up mucus. Bronchitis can be treated at home with rest, fluids, and ibuprofen. If bronchitis symptoms persist after treatment, you may have chronic bronchitis, which requires medical treatment.
Allergy symptoms are similar to a cold and bronchitis, but may also include itchy, watery eyes and skin rashes. Allergies may be treated at home with over-the-counter medications, lozenges, and nasal sprays. For more severe conditions like chronic bronchitis, asthma, GERD, and COPD, medical treatment is necessary to alleviate symptoms.
When to seek medical treatment for a cough
If your cough lasts longer than 10 days or is accompanied by symptoms like dizziness, fever, wheezing, shortness of breath, or coughing up blood, you need to seek medical treatment. If
you are unable to see your general practitioner quickly, you may want to go to urgent care to get a diagnosis and treat your cough.
A long-lasting cough, a cough that can’t be treated with over-the-counter medications, a non-stop cough, or coughing that causes vomiting are also reasons to visit urgent care.
Cough treatment options available at urgent care
The doctor at the urgent care center will evaluate your symptoms and try to diagnose the cause of your cough. They may ask questions about your symptoms and environment, perform swab tests in the nose, throat, or mouth, use a light to look into your throat, and more. In some cases, an X-ray of the chest may be necessary. The doctor might want to run lab tests, some of which can yield results in minutes, others which may take days to get back results.
Depending on the cause of your cough, the urgent care center can provide prescription medications and other courses of treatment to alleviate symptoms and get you back to health.
