Bronchitis: Symptoms, Causes, and Precautions

When you or someone you know is in the midst of a bronchitis attack, it can be very scary. Do you know that attacks such as these send countless patients to an emergency room in Houston every day for relief from this often debilitating respiratory disease? Did you also know that bronchitis is part of the more chronic condition known as COPD (Chronic Pulmonary Obstructive Disease)? It’s true. Pretty stressful, right? But knowing that a 24-hour emergency room in Houston like Ascent ER is always available to provide breathing treatments to patients of all ages should help eliminate that stress!

How to Recognize the Signs that Send COPD and Bronchitis Patients to an Emergency Room

Every patient will have symptoms of the conditions depending on many factors like their age, general health, medications, and smoking habits. Some of the most common symptoms documented at emergency care in 77030 include the following:

• Incessant coughing with a yellow, white, or green discharge
• An increase in the production of mucus, especially bloody mucus
• Discomfort in the chest during breathing, especially below the breastbone
• Unexpected shortness of breath, fatigue, or wheezing
• Slight-to-moderate fever, usually accompanied by chills

Although some of these symptoms might be brushed off by some of you reading this as the result of smoking and nothing more, the fact is that they should not be dismissed as anything less than an urgent health concern.

Three Easy Precautions to Incorporate into Your Lifestyle

Three things patients can do at home in everyday healthcare to prevent a chronic bronchitis attack in Houston are three simple steps. First, always make sure that you are getting plenty of rest. Your body needs this time to recover from all you’ve asked of it earlier in the day. Next — and we know you’ve heard this one before – drink plenty of liquids since your body will need these more than ever. And last, stop smoking. That one action alone could save your life!

An Important Closing Comment

If you find that your breathing ability is worsening for any reason, get emergency services in Houston to speak with a medical professional about your symptoms, which could result in a diagnosis of bronchitis or COPD and require urgent care from a 24/7 emergency room in Houston like Ascent Emergency Medical Center.

The Importance of Oxygen Therapy in Bronchitis Emergency Treatment

Bronchitis contributes to difficulty breathing, and your body may lack sufficient oxygen for normal functioning. When blood oxygen levels plummet, receiving more oxygen allows you to breathe better and helps you live longer. As the body receives more oxygen, the body’s systems and organs begin to work better.
A person may be more active, think more clearly, and have an enhanced quality of life. When you go for emergency treatment for bronchitis, the doctor at Ascent Medical Emergency Center can provide oxygen therapy, among other treatments.

Differentiating Between Acute and Chronic Bronchitis in the ER

The doctor reviews the symptoms you have and asks questions regarding the same. A physical examination involves the nose, throat, and ears and listening to breathing. The doctor may also check the blood oxygen saturation. X-rays may be performed to help rule out pneumonia. Blood work may be conducted to understand how the body responds to the illness.

A doctor can distinguish between acute and chronic bronchitis by looking at how long the condition has been active. Chronic bronchitis presents with a persistent cough and production of sputum that occurs for at least three months a year for two repeated years. Patients may have other symptoms like chest discomfort, coughing, wheezing, or difficulty breathing. The cough may release a lot of mucus.

How Do You Know Bronchitis Is Severe and Needs Urgent Care Treatment?

If you have these symptoms, you should seek treatment at an emergency room in Houston:

• The cough lingers for over a week after you have had other cold symptoms resolved
• You cough up bloody or coloured mucus
• Fever develops along with the cough
• You have difficulty sleeping
• You have shortness of breath

Visit Ascent Emergency Room for treatment of your chronic bronchitis today!