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Being sick is never fun, but some illnesses are even more annoying than others. One that tops the list and affects a high number of people each year is bronchitis. Bronchitis is a unique illness because it can be either acute or chronic. Let’s take a deep dive into everything you need to know about this pesky illness!
What is it?
Bronchitis is a condition that refers to the irritation of your bronchial tubes. In other words, bronchitis is the irritation of the small airways between your lungs and airway. Bronchitis most commonly occurs as a result of an upper respiratory infection like the common cold. That type of bronchitis is acute, while some people suffer from chronic bronchitis that occurs even when they haven’t suffered an upper respiratory infection recently.
Symptoms
Bronchitis is an illness that comes with plenty of symptoms that make it easy to decipher just a common cold. People suffering from bronchitis often cough up thick and discolored mucus. You’ll likely feel chest discomfort from all of the coughing, as well as fatigue and shortness of breath. Acute bronchitis that’s brought on by a cold will likely be accompanied by lingering cold symptoms, such as a runny nose or sinus pressure.
Treatment
Acute bronchitis is often able to resolve on its own after 7-10 days, but that isn’t always the case. If 7-10 days have passed and your symptoms haven’t improved, or if you’re suffering from chronic bronchitis, it’s important to get treatment quickly to prevent pneumonia from forming in your lungs. While you wait for your bronchitis to clear, cough medicine can help limit the amount of painful coughing you do throughout the day.
Start with over the counter cough medications, but if they don’t seem to be helping enough, don’t hesitate to visit a healthcare provider! Urgent care centers are able to diagnose and treat bronchitis quickly and at a price anyone can afford. In addition to taking the prescribed treatment from the urgent care, you can use home remedies such as a humidifier and hot tea to soothe your sore throat.
If you’ve recently had a cold and believe you could be suffering from bronchitis, seek treatment right away! It’s always better to get checked and treated early than to allow the illness to get worse and possibly cause other issues. For chronic bronchitis sufferers, treatment from an urgent care center is an essential part of living a healthy and happy life.
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