coronavirus

Coronavirus Treatment Evolution – What we now know about how to treat COVID-19

Coronavirus Treatment Evolution – What we now know about how to treat COVID-19

You may be hearing about coronavirus on a daily basis, but do you know what to do in case you develop symptoms? There’s no telling whether you will get mild or severe symptoms when you get infected. Fortunately, we have learned a lot about treatment over the past several months.

Mild Symptoms

If you develop a fever, dry cough, and body aches and think you may have COVID-19, you must stay home. Call your primary care family medicine provider and let them know of your symptoms. Your family medicine provider may recommend that you get tested to make sure you know the cause of your symptoms. Follow your family medicine provider’s instructions to help make your recovery more comfortable. Monitor your symptoms closely.

According to the CDC, people with mild symptoms of coronavirus can recover from home. Take care of yourself and do what you can to be healthy and help your body fight the virus. Rest, eat nutritious food, take your vitamins, hydrate, take a fever reducer, sleep, and do light exercises. Most people with mild symptoms feel better after a week. Most people who get COVID-19 have mild symptoms. As such, there is no need for prescription medication while they recover in most cases.

Moderate to Severe Symptoms

In the case you have severe symptoms, treatment may be necessary. Your family medicine provider may prescribe medications to help with symptoms, but not to treat COVID-19 itself. While the world awaits a vaccine, so far, only one medication has been approved by the FDA to treat COVID-19, and that is Remdesivir. This is only for patients who are hospitalized. A corticosteroid called dexamethasone is also used for patients with severe symptoms who need a ventilator. Convalescent plasma therapy or using the blood of people who recovered from COVID-19 is also used to help reduce the severity of the symptoms and help patients recover. If you have severe symptoms, your family medicine provider will determine which (if any) of these treatments can help you.

If you develop severe symptoms such as chest pain, difficulty breathing, a consistently high fever, or if your lips turn blue, go to an emergency room immediately. Remember, only patients with severe and life-threatening symptoms are admitted to the hospital.

The FDA is expediting the development of COVID-19 treatments at this time. In the meantime, mind your hygiene, follow social distancing guidelines, and do what you can to strengthen your immune system.

Family Medicine Provider in Wellington and Royal Palm Beach, Florida

Our primary care providers, Dr. Ishan Gunawardene and Shariffa Gunawardene, ARNP are dedicated to providing personalized care and treatment. They are focused on restoring you to your optimal health. In light of the pandemic, we closely monitor patients who are COVID-19 positive and those who are showing symptoms but have not been tested. We understand that these are scary times, which is why we provide personalized care and support backed by medical science. If you have questions or if you would like to schedule an appointment with a primary care provider, call (561) 434-1935 or use our online request form.

How Long Have You Had That Cough?

Are you coughing persistently? Think about how long your cough has lasted – you might have swelling in your bronchial tubes, which transport air to and from the lungs.

Fortunately, you can receive treatment for bronchitis via a primary care provider. The family medicine provider will first evaluate your symptoms and determine a firm diagnosis of your respiratory condition. Let’s talk about what bronchitis is and where you can go in Wellington and Royal Palm Beach to find relief from your symptoms.

What Is Bronchitis?

Bronchitis occurs when you have inflammation of the bronchial tubes: “bronch-” (for bronchial) and “-itis” (inflammation). The inflammation may cause you to experience shortness of breath, chest discomfort, and a frequent cough. You might also have an increased production of mucus. Fever and chills are possible as well.

Acute bronchitis occurs from a respiratory infection, such as a cold. This infection causes short-term inflammation and tends to last for 10 days or fewer. You may, however, continue to have a residual cough for another several weeks.

On the other hand, chronic bronchitis is a longer-lasting infection. You may have spells off and on. This should be addressed by a family medicine provider so that the underlying condition doesn’t worsen into a more serious infection.

When Your Cough May Be Bronchitis

Generally, you should visit a family medicine provider if you have a cough that has lasted for more than two weeks or has become progressively worse. You also should seek medical attention if your cough interferes with your sleep, if you’re coughing up blood, or if you’re having shortness of breath, wheezing, or chest discomfort.

Do not hesitate to see a family medicine provider for any unusual symptoms. It is always more prudent to overreact than to underreact when it comes to your health.

How Is Bronchitis Diagnosed?

The common cold, the flu (the influenza virus), allergies, asthma, and pneumonia all share similar symptoms, so your primary care provider will need to conduct a thorough examination to determine an accurate diagnosis.

Your family medicine provider will listen to your lungs through a stethoscope. You may also need to have an X-ray in order to narrow down the cause or to rule out certain factors.

With the COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) virus as another possibility, do not be alarmed if you are being checked for that virus as well. Rest assured that all of these illnesses have viable treatments available to treat your symptoms and to address the underlying condition.

Primary Care Provider in Wellington and Royal Palm Beach

A cough may start out as seemingly harmless, but a relentless cough may indicate bronchitis or another type of respiratory issue. Be sure to see an experienced medical provider as soon as possible so that your condition doesn’t develop into pneumonia.

With offices conveniently located in Wellington and Royal Palm Beach, Advanced Medical Clinic is here for you and your whole family. If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment, call our friendly staff today at (561) 434-1935 or fill out our appointment request form online now. We look forward to seeing you!