Common Colds, Cough and Flu Treatment Doctor Q&A

Many people may have access to a primary care physician or pediatrist that can deal with many of the health issues that arise. Internists are another choice of doctor who can help.
 
There are times when problems arise that you may want to be addressed when your primary doctor is too busy to see you or isn’t available. An urgent care clinic is another option for those times when you need to see a doctor for a health concern that isn’t life-threatening, like a cold or flu. Urgent care clinics are staffed with doctors, such as internists and medical staff who can treat these concerns and many more. They are often open later than a family practice and are often open on weekends for your convenience.

There isn’t anything you can do to get rid of a common cold. The body needs to fight off the virus causing the cold, which usually takes between one and two weeks. This is also true of more coughs. But a cough may have another cause and you may need to see a doctor to find out what the issue is.
 
Since a cold cannot be cured, your option is to try and reduce the symptoms that you have associated with your cold. You also need to do things to help your body heal, like get plenty of rest, drink plenty of fluids, and add moisture to the air. This will give the body more energy to perform its natural healing.
 
The things that you can do to alleviate symptoms are:

– Saltwater gargle to help reduce sore throat pain
– Sip warm liquids to lessen throat pain and reduce congestion
– Take pain killers, these are quite available over-the-counter
– Use something to clear nasal passages to reduce congestion, like a nasal spray or neti pot

You shouldn’t need to see a doctor about a cold or flu, but there may be times when complications arise. Adults who are dealing with the following should see a doctor:

– If you have a fever above 101.3F that lasts for more than 3 days
– A fever that returns
– Symptoms that get worse or do not improve
– If you have wheezing
– If you have shortness of breath
– If you have sinus pain, headache, or severe sore throat
 
For children with colds or flu, the above conditions apply plus:

– A fever of 100.4F in children up to three months of age
– A fever lasting more than 2 days in a child of any age
– Earache
– Unusual drowsiness
– Lack of appetite

If you are dealing with a cold, flu, or cough that is persistent or painful, then seeing a doctor is recommended. Urgent care clinics provide medical staff that can handle these health concerns. Many urgent care clinics will also provide lab testing for quick and accurate diagnoses of things like strep throat, bronchitis, and pneumonia.
 
Columbia Clinic Urgent Care has clinics near you to help when you need treatment for flu, colds, or coughs that aren’t going away. We can treat people of all ages and provide walk-in services if you need those. We serve patients from Portland OR, PDX, Tigard OR, Milwaukie OR, Cedar Hills OR, Cedar Mill OR, Lake Oswego OR, Oak Grove OR, Vancouver WA, Aloha OR, Minnehaha WA, Gladstone OR, Tualatin OR, West Linn OR, Fairview OR, Oregon City OR.