Say you’ve had a head cold for days that will not go away. You’re dealing with congestion, headaches, and a sore throat. You go to the doctor to hopefully receive some type of medication to make you feel better. However, after your doctor sees you, they say they can’t give you anything, and you will just have to continue at-home treatment methods. But just last month, your coworker told you they received antibiotics for their strep throat. Why did they get antibiotics and you didn’t? Well, they had a bacterial infection, and you most likely have a viral infection.
Antibiotics are helpful, sometimes life-saving, medications meant solely for treating bacterial infections. If you have a viral infection like the common cold or the flu, antibiotics will not help and can, in fact, make your condition worse.
Understanding what separates a bacterial infection from a viral one will be helpful when navigating your approach to treatment. While both are categorized as infections, they have different causes and required care.
As their names suggest, bacterial infections are caused by bacteria, and viral infections are caused by viruses. Bacteria and viruses are microscopic germs that can be spread in the air, through food, or by touching surfaces that have the organism on them. They can infect your skin and/or your body, leading to varying symptoms depending on the condition.
The symptoms of bacterial and viral infections are often alike. For example, certain types of pneumonia are a result of a bacterial infection, while illnesses like COVID-19 are viral infections. The two have similar symptoms like coughing, chest pain, and fever; however, the germs that cause them are different and therefore require different treatment.
We know that bacterial infections are treated with antibiotics, but what can be used to treat a viral infection? Antiviral medications are used in more serious cases and can stop viruses in their tracks so they can’t multiply and spread throughout your body. Both antibiotics and antivirals can be administered in various ways; it depends on what your doctor thinks is best for your condition. Typically, these medications can be taken as a pill, as a topical ointment that you rub on your skin, or they can be injected into your muscles.
It’s best only to take antibiotics prescribed by a medical professional. You must follow your doctor’s orders on when you should take them and whether they should be taken with food or without. Never hold on to antibiotics that you haven’t taken and tuck them away for later use. Never take someone else’s antibiotics, either. Different types of antibiotics treat different conditions, so chances are your friend’s medication might not even benefit your situation.
If you do not follow these practices, you run the risk of antibiotic resistance. This happens when the bacteria in your body adapts and can no longer be treated by that type of medication. The more times that bacteria are introduced to antibiotics, the increased chance that they can grow to resist it.
If you notice signs of a bacterial infection, meet with your doctor. Symptoms of a bacterial infection involve symptoms like fever, chest pain, nausea, or diarrhea, depending on the type of infection you may have. You can also have bacterial infections on the surface of your skin, which usually come with blisters, redness, swelling, and pain.
Your primary care provider will meet with you to discuss symptoms. They may check your vitals, and if they think the infection is in your lungs, they will suggest getting an X-ray. If they diagnose you with a bacterial infection, they may prescribe antibiotics depending on its severity.
Some patients report having allergic reactions like a mild rash or diarrhea after taking antibiotics. If you are experiencing these symptoms, contact your doctor. In more serious cases, patients have experienced anaphylaxis after taking antibiotics. This is a life-threatening reaction as your face and throat can swell, making breathing extremely difficult. In the case you are experiencing anaphylaxis, call 911 immediately.
Schneck Primary Care off ers extensive treatment for bacterial infections. Our doctors come with in-depth knowledge of the diff erent types of antibiotics, and which one will be the most efficacious for your condition. Contact our team today!
