Bronchitis is making the rounds in Lansing this week. That's what Dr. Thomas Stout at Mt. Hope Community Medical Center is treating patients for.
Symptoms include a cough that is dry or hacking at first, a mild fever, fatigue, wheezing while breathing, and hoarseness.
You may also feel tightness, burning or dull pain in the chest under the breastbone, which is usually worse when taking a deep breath or coughing.
You can treat most cases of acute bronchitis at home.
Drink plenty of fluids, and take an over-the-counter cough medicine with an expectorant if your doctor recommends it.
You can suck on cough drops or hard candies to soothe a sore throat.
In Okemos, it's sinus infections that are keeping Dr. James Brouillette at Ingham Primary Care Center busy this week.
The main symptoms are runny or stuffy nose, and pain and pressure in the head and face.
Other symptoms include a front headache with pressure behind the eyes, bad breath, dental pain, and reduced sense of taste or smell.
To treat sinusitis, drink plenty of fluids and take over-the-counter pain relievers as needed.
It might help to put a hot damp towel on the face, for five to 10 minutes a few times a day.
Saltwater nose drops can help wash out mucus.
Now, fever can be a symptom of a sinus infection or just a cold.
If you're congested and have a low-grade fever, you probably have a cold, and don't need special medicine or antibiotics.
People with asthma who get a sinus infection may have a flare-up of symptoms, and should stick to their prescribed treatment regimen.