With weather in the 80’s, it is officially springtime here in Atlanta! Did you escape cold and flu season unscathed? What about that annoying, lingering cough that hasn’t gone away since January? In today’s blog post, we would like to discuss the chronic cough and treatment available at our neighborhood WellStreet Urgent Care centers.
Coughing is a natural and important way to keep your throat and airways clear. However, too much coughing, or a chronic cough that lasts longer than 3 to 8 weeks, may mean you have a more serious disease or disorder.
Whether to call the doctor about a cough can be a difficult decision. Most people believe that over the counter medications (familydoctor.org), natural remedies (natural-homeremedies.org), or good old fashioned rest, fluids, and time are all that it takes to cure a cough. At WellStreet, we believe that chronic coughing is a symptom, not a disease, and the underlying cause of the cough is what needs to be discovered and treated especially when it last more than 8 weeks.
The most common causes of constant coughing are bronchitis, asthma, COPD, acid reflux or GERD, and post nasal drip brought on by rhinitis or sinusitis. Our facilities are fully equipped with on-site x-ray machines and full diagnostics labs to ensure timely and proper diagnosis. Our physicians and staff will spend quality time with you to get a full background history and perform a thorough examination. After your visit is complete, they can prescribe medication and refer you to a specialist if needed.
Chronic cough is not always indicative of a serious illness. However, if you are worried about your non-stop coughing or it is affecting your quality of life in any way, you should pay a visit to a physician. A timely visit to a WellStreet Urgent Care doctor may help you find the cause of the persistent cough you suffer from and help get rid of it as rapidly as possible.
