When to Visit an Urgent Care for Coughing

Wondering when coughing should mean you head to urgent care? Read on to learn more. A lingering cold and cough after a weather change are fairly common. When many of us suffer from these minor viral infections, we do not consider them serious enough to visit a doctor. That is to say, nagging coughs, pains, and body aches seem like routine infections and we sometimes trivialize them.

However, if your cold or cough seems to have a prolonged grip, it is an indication you should start taking its symptoms seriously. Knowing when your cough needs urgent care or when you should visit a doctor may help you avoid severe infections. A cough could be a warning sign of bronchitis and pneumonia or various other respiratory infections.

This is when seeking medical assistance is essential to determine if your pesky cough has turned into a serious medical condition.

Signs that coughing needs urgent care

Patients experiencing the following symptoms need to visit an urgent care center right away:

Lingering cough

If it has been more than three to four weeks and your cough does not seem to be going away, it is time to visit urgent care. Consulting a doctor is the right thing to do when a cough persists for more than three weeks. Meanwhile, you should avoid using cough drops, as they offer only temporary relief, and using them continuously may suppress the signs of a respiratory infection.

Coughing up thick mucus or blood

Although blood-tinged coughing could have a variety of causes, it may be a sign of a detrimental infection. Typically, coughing up blood or mucus is due to minor abrasion in the throat or nose. However, it is recommended that you seek urgent care if you are coughing up blood or discolored mucus.

Fatigue or breathlessness

If your coughing causes you fatigue or breathlessness, it is not something to ignore. Being constantly short of breath is attributed to obesity, but it can be a sign of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). That is why it is important to seek medical attention when you find coughing persistently tiring. It may also be a sign of viral infection.

Coughing with chest pain

Coughing up thick mucus/blood with chest pain is a natural reaction your body tends to exhibit with a lingering cough. Chest pain, on the other hand, can be a symptom of indigestion, showing that your body has developed GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease).

It is one of the warning signs of pneumonia and bronchitis. In other words, consulting a doctor if you experience chest pain is a wise idea.

Identifying the cause of the cough

Coughing is the body's way of protecting itself against pollutants, including smoke, allergies, and dust. The type of cough and other symptoms will decide if patients need urgent care. First, it is advisable to take note of the times of day and night when the cough occurs most often. Take note of the sound and the accompanying feeling. In addition, keep an eye out for any unusual side effects, such as vomiting or insomnia. Finally, notice the duration of the cough. If the cough persists for more than eight weeks, it is more likely to be a significant issue.

Patients should seek medical care if they have a temperature above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, are vomiting blood, are too weak to speak or move, or have any other unexpected or potentially serious symptoms. It is preferable to err on the side of caution and seek conventional medical treatment choices if the cough sounds like severe wheezing, or is otherwise unusual.

Helpful home remedies

Upper respiratory infections are the most common cause of coughing. It is important to relax and drink warm beverages if it is an upper respiratory infection. Honey, cough drops and hard candies are among home treatments that may help alleviate throat irritation, while humidifiers and hot baths can help patients breathe more comfortably. Therefore, patients may not require medication if home remedies prove effective and the cough does not linger for more than a few weeks.

The bottom line

It is important to note that coughs that do not go away on their own and are accompanied by other symptoms such as wheezing and fever need immediate medical treatment. A lingering cough can be potentially dangerous if you ignore the warning signs. It is essential to treat them in time before they become malignant. Visit an urgent care center for an evaluation and treatment.

Call us today at (832) 941-1894 for more information from Texas Urgent Care & Imaging Center.

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