Bronchitis Treatment at AFC Urgent Care

AFC Urgent Care can diagnose and treat bronchitis for you and your family. Bronchitis is an infection that inflames the bronchial tubes, which direct air into your lungs. This medical condition has two types: acute bronchitis (aka a chest cold) and chronic bronchitis. Someone usually develops acute bronchitis after a respiratory infection, which clears up within ten days. Chronic bronchitis, however, can develop due to other factors, such as a smoking habit, and requires immediate medical attention.

If you think you have developed bronchitis, local AFC Urgent Care locations can help.

What Are the Symptoms of Bronchitis?

Bronchitis has some very distinct symptoms, including:

• Cough that produces mucus (may contain blood)
• Shortness of breath
• Fever
• Chills
• Wheezing
• Lethargy/lack of energy

When should I visit an AFC Urgent Care location for bronchitis?

Often, bronchitis will eventually resolve on its own, like a common cold. However, like a common cold, there are times when a patient may need to be evaluated by one of our providers at our urgent care center. You should visit one of our locations if you experience:

• Difficulty sleeping
• Shortness of breath
• Coughing up bloody or colored mucus
• Develop a fever with a cough
• Cough that lingers for more than a week after you have recovered from other cold-related symptoms.

You should seek urgent medical treatment if you experience any of the following:

• If your cough brings up blood or thick, dark mucus.
• If your cough prevents you from sleeping.
• If your cough causes chest pain.
• If your cough has a barking sound and prevents you from speaking easily.
• If you experience unintended weight loss.
• If you have a foul-tasting fluid in your mouth.
• If you have a fever over 100.4.
• If you experience wheezing or shortness of breath.

What’s the difference between Bronchitis and Pneumonia?

While these two conditions have much in common regarding their symptoms, they are quite different in the body parts they affect. It is common to see bronchitis lead to pneumonia, but they are different.

Bronchitis is the inflammation of the bronchial tubes caused either by viral infection or other irritating substances. The bronchial tubes are responsible for passing air to your lungs, so when they become inflamed, it causes respiratory issues and fever.

Pneumonia, on the other hand, is an infection of the air sacs contained within your lungs. While these differences may sound insignificant, they are not -- pneumonia carries more severe symptoms and can be life-threatening, especially to senior citizens or those with compromised immune systems.

Can Urgent Care Treat Bronchitis?

Urgent care centers offer on-site X-ray imaging to diagnose bronchitis quickly and easily. Once diagnosed, the provider will devise a treatment plan. Since bronchitis is a viral infection, it typically clears up without antibiotics. The providesr at our urgent care centers can still prescribe a cough medication to make you more comfortable and offer tips for helpful home remedies.

Our urgent care center can provide a prescription if you need antibiotics to cure your bronchitis. Your treatment plan should include a follow-up after a certain period to ensure the bronchitis has cleared from your system and no other treatment is needed.