Patients often come to the office for illness and expect or request an antibiotic to help them overcome their symptoms. When indicated, antibiotics are an important part of treatment for bacterial infections. However, most often acute illnesses are viral – which means that antibiotics are not helpful. In fact, using antibiotics when they are not needed can be dangerous.

Common concerns that do not usually require antibiotics include:

Bronchitis (90% of cases are viral)

Signs and symptoms of acute bronchitis include:

• Coughing that produces mucus (you may not see mucus during the first few days you are sick)
• Soreness in the chest
• Fatigue (being tired)
• Mild headache
• Mild body aches
• Fever (usually less than 101 °F)
• Watery eyes
• Sore throat

Common Cold

When germs that cause colds first infect the nose and sinuses (air-filled pockets in the face), the nose makes clear mucus. This helps wash the germs from the nose and sinuses. After two or three days, mucus may change to a white, yellow, or green color. This is normal and does not mean you or your child needs antibiotics. Other signs and symptoms of the common cold can include:

• Sneezing
• Stuffy nose
• Sore throat
• Coughing
• Post-nasal drip (mucus dripping down your throat)
• Watery eyes
• Mild headache
• Mild body aches
• 
  

Sinusitis

In adults, 9 out of 10 cases of sinusitis (sinus infection) are caused by a virus.

Common signs and symptoms of a sinus infection include:

• Headache
• Stuffy or runny nose
• Loss of the sense of smell
• Facial pain or pressure
• Postnasal drip (mucus drips down the throat from the nose)
• Sore throat
• Fever
• Coughing
• Fatigue (being tired)
• Bad breath

Sore Throat

In adults, sore throat is caused by a virus in 9 out of 10 cases. This means that an antibiotic will not help relief symptoms or shorten the course of your illness.

For additional information:

https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/community/about/index.html

Taking antibiotics when they are not indicated can be dangerous. Serious consequences include drug reaction, increased risk for drug resistant infection, and clostridium difficile – a serious infection caused when antibiotics kill healthy bacteria in your gut.

Our goal is to evaluate and appropriately treat your symptoms. When indicated, antibiotics are potentially lifesaving. However, overuse of antibiotics has become a serious health issue – and we will avoid prescribing treatment when it is inappropriate.