May 25, 2012
Topics A-Z Coughs Bronchitis Lasting Chest Congestion after seven days
Bronchitis Lasting Chest Congestion after seven days |
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Dear Ask The Doctor: Hi. I am a smoker and I self diagnosed myself with Bronchitis a week ago. I've been on Amoxicilin 500mg 1 capsule 3 times a day for 6 days so far. My mucus no longer contains any green flem, but the chest congestion continues. I don't feel that my coughs are productive, but my breath isn't short (I am still able to take a normal deep breath even with a slight wheeze). I believe the bronchitis was onset by a cold. Since it has been 7 days, shouldn't I be seeing more improvement in the chest congestion? If anything, how long should I expect this to last? Dear Lawrence: You should have noticed some amount of improvement by 7 days of medication. If you feel that your congestion is becoming worse you may need to consult your doctor, who may advise an alternative antibiotic depending of the sensitivity after a sputum analysis and culture and also a chest x-ray to see the involvement of the lung. Also continuing to smoke in the presence of infection may actually worsen the condition. |
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| Last Updated ( Monday, 28 November 2011 ) |
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