As winter drags on, chronic coughing is a common complaint. But you may have questions about your cough. Is it bronchitis or pneumonia? If I have bronchitis, can it turn into pneumonia? When should I see the doctor? It’s questions like these that the board-certified physicians at Medco ER in Plano, TX, have answered. Check out the discussion.
Bronchitis vs. Pneumonia
Upper airway or lung infections can start out as the cough that accompanies a common cold and can leave your defenses down. It can then morph into bronchitis where the bronchioles fill with mucus that is sometimes coughed up. Bronchitis, then, can turn into pneumonia, a more serious virus or bacterial infection. Pneumonia attacks the alveoli in the lungs with inflammation and mucus. It can then build up fluid, increase bacteria in your system or create a lung abscess.1
“Whether your nonstop coughing is bronchitis, pneumonia or something else,” said Medco ER’s Medical Director, Dr. Nasir Khan, “You should come in right away and let us take a look. It can quickly deteriorate into a more serious condition if left untreated.”
Symptoms to Watch Out For
Bronchitis can show up with the following symptoms:1
- Unrelenting cough
- Coughing up yellow-green mucus
- Wheezing breath
- Body aches
- Fatigue
- Low fever
Pneumonia has these symptoms:1
- Unrelenting cough, often deep in chest
- Coughing up yellow-green mucus
- Shortness of breath or rapid breathing
- Body aches, chest pain
- Fatigue
- High fever (up to 105˚F)
- Sweating, chills
Prevention
The best thing to do to prevent pneumonia or bronchitis is to stop smoking. Smoking increases your risk of becoming sick from a lung infection.
Pneumonia shares bacteria and viruses with other conditions. If you get the flu, measles, whooping cough or pneumococcal (bacterial pneumonia) vaccines, you may decrease your risks of getting pneumonia. Talk to our doctor about getting other vaccines when you get the flu shot each year.
Healthy practices such as frequent hand washing, keeping hands away from face, cleaning and disinfecting surfaces, coughing or sneezing into a tissue or your elbow and monitoring any chronic conditions such as diabetes or asthma are all great preventive measures.2
When to See the Doctor
“Since bronchitis can become pneumonia in some cases, it is important to come see us at Medco ER when you have a cough that just won’t stop,” said Dr. Khan. “A cough that produces mucus, or a wet cough, is especially important to check out. We can do a chest X-ray or rapid results test to help us quickly diagnose your condition and start treatment right away.”
Get Help Fast at Medco ER
If you have a lingering cough with a fever, come to Medco ER. You will be seen quickly and your doctor will carefully diagnose your condition. Our in-house pharmacy will get you started with the right treatment to help you on the road to recovery. We are open 24/7, so you can come in any time, day or night.
Plano: 3960 Legacy Drive, Plano, TX 75023 (on the corner of Legacy and Coit Road)
Call us @ 469-747-0370
1 https://health.clevelandclinic.org/bronchitis-vs-pneumonia/
2 https://www.cdc.gov/pneumonia/prevention.html