7.Do You Need A Doctor? – Bronchitis

Do you need a doctor for your bronchitis? This question is one that you’ll have to answer yourself, depending on the type and severity of the condition you are in. For most people, the need for a doctor is not there, because they are suffering from acute bronchitis, which will likely go away on its own within just a few days to a week.

In order to help this to happen, get as much rest as you can and get lots of fluids. Keep your home’s air moist as well. Treat bronchitis in the same basic way you would treat a cold to see improvement.

If your condition is serious in that you can’t sleep, then contact your doctor. There are medications that can be given to you to lessen the pain and to help you to improve your overall health faster. He or she will probably provide you with a prescription strength cough suppressant.

Those that have a fever, which is to be expected in most cases, should contact their doctor if there temperature reaches higher than 101 degrees F. If you are coughing up blood, yellow mucus, green mucus or you can’t catch your breath, call on a doctor as soon as possible because your condition may have progressed.

When bronchitis progresses, it ends up being that of pneumonia, a very serious condition that can be fatal if not treated properly.

In addition to this, you should seek the help of your doctor if you find that your bronchitis has not gone away within six weeks. Those that face chronic bronchitis can develop additional conditions like asthma when their air passageways remain inflamed.

Certain people should seek the help of their doctor sooner. If you have chronic health problems such as chronic lung problems, congestive heart failure, emphysema, or asthma, then you need to see your doctor as soon as you feel an episode of bronchitis coming on.

Those that suffer from these conditions are at an increased risk for additional health complications from the bronchitis and therefore should seek attention as soon as possible.

If you have had bronchitis within the last few weeks or months and feel it coming on again, seek the help of your doctor. This can be a sign of the development of chronic bronchitis.

This is especially true if you work in an area that has irritants that can bring it on or live in a home where there is a smoker.

If you feel that your condition is severe, seeking your doctor’s advice is just good medicine. A call to your family doctor will take just minutes and will provide for you the help you need in getting treatment started.

Those that have had symptoms like these that have happened more than one or two times in any given year should seek out help to insure that they are not suffering from a chronic condition.