Feeling under the weather

Okay, so you're sick with the runny nose, scratchy throat, maybe a cough here and there. Bottomline you don't feel normal. So what do you have? And, what you do about it?

First things first, these annoying symptoms can be caused by one of two things, a virus or a bacterium. How do you tell which? Unfortunately there is no 2 min test that can be done to tell you which it is. However, there are several parameters that can be used to figure out the cause, ie duration of symptoms or sick contacts at home/work.

The duration of symptoms is an important one. Why? Well, in general, most illnesses begin as a viral infection (ie the common cold, most commonly caused by the rhinovirus). They may run up to 5-7 days. Some of the symptoms to watch out for are nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat, sinus pressure, low grade fevers. If you are fueling your immune system with a bunch of good nutrients, then 5-7 days is all you may have to worry about.

For some patients, however, the initial viral infection progresses to a bacterial infection. Why does that happen? The viral infection weakens the immune system and makes the patient susceptible to a superimposed infection from bacteria, bacteria that would normally be a piece of cake to handle if your body was feeling 100%. Is that it? Essentially, yes. The symptoms to watch out for are worsening/persistent of previous symptoms, onset of fevers greater than 100.4 F, thick, colored nasal discharge, or a cough.

So what can be done to prevent the progression to a bacterial infection? The most important thing to do is to drink plenty of soup. Chicken noodle, vegetable, whatever. Take your pick and basically feast. Drink plenty of room temperature water. The next important thing is resting. Not watching tv, or gluing the eyes to the phone, but resting as in laying down and sleeping and taking it easy.

So you've done all of this and its been a week and it's worsening? Well at this point, we can say you put up your best fight, but your immune system needs backup. This is the best time to be seen by a doctor for some antibiotics.

Why not take the antibiotics from the beginning? Why suffer for 5-7 days? The reason is simple. If it is a virus infection and it probably is, antibiotics won't work. You can't kill something that isn't alive. Yeah, viruses aren't living things and antibiotics (anti- = against, -biotic = life) will not help. If it is a viral infection, antibiotics may end up doing more harm than any good. Stomach aches, diarrhea, killing off the good bacteria in your gut, to name a few.

So this is my brief two cents on discerning whether you have a viral or bacterial illness. Hope you guys like it, let me know if you have any questions.