You may experience coughing or common cold symptoms when you feel under the weather. While catching a cold is more common in the winter, getting one other times of year is still possible. If you’re suffering from a cough or a cold, understanding the symptoms you’re experiencing and getting the proper treatment can help you overcome them and feel better faster.
Modern Urgent Care treats coughs and colds to help you or a loved one get better as soon as possible.
Types and Symptoms of Colds
You could experience two types of colds when you aren’t feeling well — head or chest colds. The most significant difference between the two is where in your body you feel the symptoms:
- Head: With a head cold, you may suffer from a runny or stuffed nose, watery eyes, a low-grade fever or mild headache.
- Chest: Chest colds involve mucus building up in the lungs, which may result in chest congestion, a persistent hacking cough and green or yellow mucus. Chest colds are also often known as acute bronchitis.
Difference Between a Cold and the Flu
Sometimes, people can confuse a cold with the flu and vice versa because the symptoms are similar, and both are contagious respiratory illnesses. Despite the similarities, they are separate from each other. The flu only happens if you catch an influenza virus, while a cold or cold-like symptoms can occur due to various viruses such as parainfluenza, seasonal coronaviruses and rhinoviruses, which are the most common.
Another difference is the severity of the symptoms. Cold symptoms are milder than those of the flu and typically don’t lead to other health issues. In contrast, if untreated, the flu could lead to bacterial infections, pneumonia or other serious health complications.
When to See a Doctor for a Cough
Occasional coughs are normal and often go away on their own after a week or so, so you don’t have to go to the doctor to get treatment. However, if coughing persists for several weeks or you have discolored phlegm or blood that comes up while coughing, you should see a doctor. The length of the cough and any fluids that appear could indicate there’s a more serious issue happening.
Visit Modern Urgent Care When You Have a Bad Cough or Cold
Most coughs and colds resolve themselves, but if your symptoms worsen or don’t improve, it’s time to get medical attention. Your doctor will diagnose your head or chest cold symptoms and provide treatment to help alleviate them. Come to Modern Urgent Care in the Central California Valley whenever you’re experiencing nonemergency cough or cold symptoms that won’t leave you alone. Find a location near you and walk in or book an appointment to get the needed treatment.