Do I Really Need An Antibiotic ?

• Share on:
• Deel
• Tweet
• Pin it
• Messenger
• Email

Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections, including sinus , urinary tract infections and strep throat.

It is difficult to determine whether or not you need an antibiotic. Antibiotics treat bacterial infections, including sinus infections, urinary tract infections, and strep throat. However, it is essential to understand that antibiotics do not treat viral or fungal infections. These infections are treated with antiviral and antifungal formulas.

When a doctor determines whether an antibiotic is needed, they will consider several things. This is because bacteria can mutate and become resistant to antibiotics over time. When bacteria become resistant to certain antibiotics, other medications may need to be given intravenously. To help prevent mutations and resistance, physicians consider the following before prescribing antibiotics.

Length of Sickness

Many times, a physician will wait to administer antibiotics. This allows the body's natural immune system to fight off the infection. When the body can fight off a disease, it builds up antibodies to prevent further infections of the same bacteria. An antibiotic may be ordered if the body is not effectively fighting off the infection after a few days or a week.

Testing

Viruses cannot be effectively treated with antibiotics. Therefore, the physician must determine the exact type of infection you are suffering from. There are a variety of tests that can be used to determine the type of infection. For example, a throat culture can be taken if the physician suspects strep throat. A nose swab can decide if you suffer from a viral infection like the flu. These cultures are sent to a lab to be grown and looked at under a microscope to determine if a virus or a bacterium causes the infection.

Mucus Color

The color of your mucus can tell a lot about your infection type. A viral infection causes nasal secretions that are thin and clear. If the color of your mucus is green or yellow, it can be a sign of a bacterial infection. However, you must be careful because some viral infections can cause a green discharge.

Fever

Fevers are present in both bacterial and viral infections. Therefore, they are not a good way to determine whether you need an antibiotic. A fever means that there is a foreign invader in the body. When a fever is present, the doctor will assess the likelihood of the flu by examining the number of flu cases in the area.

When you are sick, your physician will consider several things before prescribing an antibiotic. This includes taking cultures and looking at your symptoms and the color of your mucus. Sometimes, the physician will use a quick test culture to determine if a bacteria or virus causes your illness. If the quick test returns downbeat, it will be sent to the laboratory for further testing. To learn more about antibiotics, you can check out CNN's article "When You Need Antibiotics – and When You Don't.

• Share on:
• Deel
• Tweet
• Pin it
• Messenger
• Email