Bronchitis & Pneumonia
Bronchitis & Pneumonia Treatment
Bronchitis is more frequent during the cold and flu season and tends to develop after a common cold or other upper respiratory infection. The symptoms include painful coughing, wheezing, fever, chills, muscle aches, sore throat, nasal congestion or fatigue.
It’s important to see a medical professional to determine if you have bronchitis and not pneumonia.
Bronchitis
Treatment
- Order and perform a chest X-ray on-site
- Take a sputum culture to test for the presence of bacteria
- Perform a pulmonary function test to check for signs of asthma or emphysema
- Prescribe appropriate medications to help suppress coughing and wheezing, reduce fever, and ease muscle aches
- Monitor your symptoms to ensure you are responding to treatment
Pneumonia
Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment
You can also receive treatment for pneumonia at Midwest Express Clinic. The symptoms of pneumonia include shaking chills followed by a high fever, chest pain, coughing, nausea or shortness of breath. Pneumonia, in extreme cases, can be life threatening, but many patients often don’t require hospitalization.
The treatment for pneumonia varies by patient as providers consider age, general health, and how the patient contracted the infection.
If you require pneumonia treatment, the providers at Midwest Express Clinic may:
- Order and perform a chest X-ray on-site
- Assess whether you should be hospitalized or can be safely treated at home
- Provide a referral to one of three nearby hospitals, should you require hospitalization
- Decide if antibiotics are needed
- Prescribe appropriate medication
- Provide supportive care
You are urged to seek medical attention if you believe you have pneumonia. The sooner you receive treatment, the sooner you will feel better with less risk of complications.