Urgent Care Services
Cough Treatment
and Testing for Flu, Strep, RSV, Mono and Covid In Benicia, Napa and Sonoma
Quick Relief for Coughs
Coughing is a good thing your body does to get rid of stuff like mucus, smoke, or dust in your breathing tubes. But if you cough a lot, it can be a problem. It might keep you awake, make it hard to work, make your chest hurt, and make you feel really tired. When you have a cough or a sore throat, your body’s defense system, called the immune system, works to fight it off. If your throat is sore and swollen, doing things to make the swelling go down can make you feel better.
Visit a Clinic, Video Visit or Test Only
Understanding why you are coughing is important so it can be treated properly to avoid any more problems or pain.
If you live or work near our urgent care clinics in Napa, Benicia and Sonoma or are visiting the Wine Country, don’t tough it out or wait for your symptoms to get worse. Our clinics provide a convenient and cost-effective option to treat your cough.
We have an easy online system for scheduling care appointments at our clinics or for a telehealth video visit. You can also always visit our clinics without any prior appointment.
We accept most insurance plans and visits here are significantly less expensive than going to an emergency room. Plus, you’ll usually be seen more quickly compared to an ER visit.
Quick Tests and Treatment for Flu, COVID-19, RSV, Mono or Strep Throat
We offer quick tests at our clinics for common respiratory ailments like colds and viruses. Once you know the cause of your cough, you can get your medication to feel better fast. At Urgent Cate + TeleHealth, we offer in-house tests and don’t send out to a lab. That means that you’ll get your results back quickly and get on the road to recovery sooner. We can usually provide the results within 1/2 hour of your test and then prescribe the best treatment for you on the same day.
Test only Option
If you are self-insured and would like to get tested for Flu, COVID-19, RSV, Mono or Strep, we are now offering a test only option that allows you to save money by paying only for the test. We’ll provide you with the test results without need for a checkup.
How We Help
- We accept walk-ins!
- If you can’t come in, get advice with an easy video visit. Then follow-up later at a clinic.
- We take most insurance plans including Medicare and Kaiser.
- No insurance? We offer cash-pay discounts.
- Use your HSA (Health Savings Account) or FSA (Flexible Spending Account).
- We offer an easy online appointment system.
Urgent Care + TeleHealth is managed by Dr. Ian Ahwah, a local emergency medicine physician who has over 25 years of experience. Dr. Ahwah has clinical experience treating patients at urgent care and in area emergency rooms. Our doctors, medical providers and support staff treat you with dignity and protect your privacy.
Brittany Bellows, PA, Clinical Manager
Cough FAQ
What are the different kinds of coughs, and how can I recognize their symptoms?
Coughs come in types and it is essential to identify their symptoms to understand what might be causing them.
- Wet coughs or “chesty coughs” involve mucus production. Wet coughs usually happen when you have a cold, the flu, bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma, or COPD. They help get rid of extra mucus in your lungs. If your phlegm is brown, red, black, bloody then you should seek medical attention immediately. This may be an early sign of pneumonia.
- Dry coughs are irritating but don’t produce mucus. Dry coughs are common when you have a cold, COVID-19, allergies, or asthma. They can also happen if you breathe in things like dust or smoke, or if you have acid reflux. Dry coughs feel like a tickle in your throat and don’t bring up mucus.
- Paroxysmal coughs are sudden and intense coughing fits where you can’t stop coughing. They are often very forceful and can make you feel very tired or even make you throw up. This kind of cough is usually seen with whooping cough, but can also happen with asthma, lung diseases like COPD, pneumonia, or tuberculosis.
- Croup coughs sound like a barking seal and are more commonly seen with young children. It sounds like a harsh, barking noise and is caused by a viral infection that swells the upper airways. Croup coughs can also be accompanied by a hoarse voice and difficulty breathing.
What are the most common causes of coughs?
The most common causes of coughing are seasonal colds, flu, and viruses like Rhinovirus, Adenovirus, Flu, COVID, or RSV. In addition, coughs can be caused by allergies, asthma, bronchitis, acid reflux (GERD), and breathing in things like smoke or dust. The providers at Urgent Care + TeleHealth will assess your health to determine the cause of your cough.
How can Urgent Care + TeleHealth help me identify the cause of my cough?
- Review Medical History: Ask about cough duration, pattern, and associated symptoms (like fever or wheezing).
- Physical Examination: Listen to lung sounds and check your vital signs and respiratory system.
- Diagnostic tests: We check for illnesses like COVID-19, Flu, Strep throat, Mononucleosis, and RSV right in our own lab to quickly determine the cause of the illness.
- Chest X-ray: To check for lung infections or abnormalities.
- Consider Related Symptoms: Like heartburn or sinus issues.
What is a typical COVID cough, and how does it differ from bronchitis?
A COVID cough is often dry and persistent. However, COVID symptoms have changed and evolved over time. COVID is often accompanied with symptoms like shortness of breath or loss of taste and smell. On the other hand, a bronchitis cough is usually a wet “productive” cough with mucus production. It is frequently seen after a cold or respiratory infection.
How can I calm my cough at home?
Here are some home remedies that can help ease your cough symptoms:
- Stay Hydrated: Drink enough fluids. Take natural dark honey for coughing episodes to soothe your throat.
- Use a Humidifier: Adding moisture to the air can alleviate coughing.
- Avoid Irritants: Stay away from smoke and other irritants.
- Over-the-Counter Relief: Medications and lozenges can offer temporary relief, but always follow your healthcare professional’s advice.
- Seek Professional Help: Urgent Care + TeleHealth professionals are ready to talk to you in a video visit or in-person at our clinics.
References
References:
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Cough. (2020, June 13). Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/cough/basics/causes/sym-20050846
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Why You Cough. (2012, August 5). WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/overview
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Tips for Calming Your Cough. (n.d.). WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/ss/slideshow-cough-treatments
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