Advertisement
Here's when to see a doctor about that persistent cough
You’ve been coughing for days (and nights — so many sleepless nights).
Advertisement
Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy
Is it just a cold, bronchitis or something even worse? And should you get checked out or wait it out?
Family physician Donald Ford, MD, gives the lowdown on bronchitis.
Cough, fatigue, a heavy tightness in the chest. It could be bronchitis, pneumonia or just a simple cold. So how can you tell which is which? One thing that sets bronchitis apart is its staying power, says Dr. Ford. “In bronchitis, the cough persists long after you begin to feel better.”
To understand bronchitis, he offers a quick anatomy lesson. The bronchioles are the large airways that extend down into the chest, where they’re capped off with the lungs. Acute bronchitis strikes when the bronchioles become infected (most often by a virus). The airways make mucus in an attempt to shed the viral invaders. That mucus makes you cough your head off.
Even after the virus is gone, though, the lining of the bronchioles remains irritated and inflamed. You’re no longer contagious, even if your barking cough makes coworkers avoid you.
“You’re not sick, but you have these raw, exposed tissues in the airways that are really reactive,” Dr. Ford explains. “Cold air or even just a deep breath can cause a coughing fit.”
Unfortunately, since bronchitis is almost always viral, antibiotics won’t help you get better. But that doesn’t mean you should forego seeing your physician. Doctors can prescribe cough suppressants or other drugs to help you deal with symptoms.
Advertisement
They can also rule out more serious illnesses, like pneumonia. Pneumonia is an infection that occurs deep in the lungs, rather than up in the bronchioles, Dr. Ford explains.
How do you know if it’s time to see a doctor? Ask yourself these questions:
“We can usually tell pretty easily by listening to your lungs if it’s bronchitis or pneumonia,” Dr. Ford adds. But that listening part is important, so this is a case when it’s better to see a doctor IRL instead of an online virtual visit.
No, it’s not fun to drag your sick self to the doctor’s office, but it’s worth the trouble. “It’s never a bother for us to take a listen,” he adds. “Don’t be afraid of coming to see us, because it’s always better to find out you’re fine than to miss something serious.”
Advertisement
Learn more about our editorial process.
Advertisement
Tamiflu can shorten your child’s illness and even help prevent the flu
Use a bleach solution to sanitize surfaces like doorknobs, counters, toilets and light switches
Simple solutions like adding moisture to the air and using nasal sprays can help ease your cough and other symptoms of the illness
Walking pneumonia is milder and doesn’t always require medication — but it’s also highly contagious
Infection and inflammation can cause you to lose your voice and have other voice changes until you’re fully healed
A COVID-19 infection can bring on depression or anxiety months after physical symptoms go away
Just like the flu, COVID-19 continues to evolve every year with new and smarter variants
The latest omicron subvariants carry specific mutations that may allow the SARS-CoV-2 virus to be better at evading immune protection
When you get bogged down with mental tasks, you can experience mood changes, sleeplessness and more
You can alternate these OTCs to help with pain management and fever reduction
Non-exercise activity thermogenesis is all the activity we do that’s not technically exercise but is still important to your health and well-being