SmartDocMD

Upper respiratory infection brings with it a myriad of symptoms. Patients will experience sore throat, sneezing, stuffy nose, inflamed sinuses and upper respiratory infection cough. The majority of these types of illnesses are caused by viruses, common rhinovirus specifically. Sometimes these can be caused by bacterial infections. Most all of these types of illnesses are contagious. Each time you cough, you could be spreading the illness to others because droplets leave your mouth and go into the air. A virus can be spread by the air. If you have a upper respiratory cough, among other symptoms, you should see a doctor if the symptoms last more than a few days. You can get an online DR visit using our service if you are located in California. We provide online doctors notes to patients that are contagious.

If you’ve recently been sick, you may notice that the cough lingers a bit longer than all other symptoms. We call this a post viral cough, or lingering cough.

Coughs can be treated by using a combination of different remedies. Make sure that you are using a humidifier and filtering warm water mist into the air of the spaces that you inhabit. If you have to, buy a warm air humidifier that you can take with you on the go. Several models are available that will allow you to filter warm water steam into the air that surrounds you. Honey is an effective cough remedy that also packs potent antiviral and antibacterial properties. You can put it in drinks or take a teaspoonful to coat the back of your throat. Ginger also has great anti-cough properties along with being a potent anti-inflammatory food. Gargle saltwater to get rid of any drainage that you might have draining into your throat.

Sometimes the cough that just won’t go away is not just an upper respiratory infection cough. Sometimes a cough can signal a serious issue. Therefore, it is important to speak to a doctor if your cough just will not go away, or if it is particularly bad sounding.

Whooping cough is caused by the bacteria Bordetella pertussis and it is known for causing a violent, uncontrollable cough. Anyone who has ever suffered through whooping cough will tell you that it is hard to breath during these coughing fits. They are uncontrollable and typically do not respond to many home remedies. Pertussis is an extremely contagious respiratory disease. Babies are especially susceptible to whooping cough and it can cause serious complications in babies, children, teens, and adults. Typically, whooping cough presents with a low-grade fever, runny nose, cough and in babies especially, apnea, or a pause in breathing. In the later stages, the cough turns into a loud sounding high pitched cough and can cause vomiting. If you suspect that you have whooping cough, you should head to the urgent care, or your primary care doctor quickly. If you are experiencing, trouble breathing you should not wait to head to the doctor and possibly go to the emergency room.

SmartDocMD treats non-emergency illnesses such as the common cold, upper respiratory infections, sinus infections, coughing, pink eye, urinary tract infections and vaginal yeast infections. If you need to speak to a doctor online, use our online DR service if you are located in California. We hope to expand to other states very soon.