Antibiotics or chicken soup?

By DR. DAN BRENNAN

So you woke up with that runny nose, sore throat, achy all over, just wanting to go back to sleep feeling.  A couple of days go by and you are still blowing your nose.  This time you open the tissue and find a gunky glob of glow-in-the-dark goop.  Within seconds, the phone is in hand and you speed-dial your favorite white-coated superhero for some antibiotics.  Wait a second.  Hold on.  Please put down the Kleenex and wash your hands.

At one time, blowing out yellow snot meant it was time to get some antibiotics.  Times have changed and so has your doctor’s advice.  The emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria has led to more research and a stricter use of antibiotics.  You may not need the pink stuff to get rid of those green goobers after all.

How long is too long?

Common viral cold symptoms often include runny nose, cough and watery eyes.  Fever may be present during the first couple of days.  Nasal discharge may be clear, yellow or green. These symptoms will generally improve on their own over seven to ten days.  A runny nose that persists beyond ten days, a worsening cough or a new fever should prompt a call to your doctor since it may indicate the presence of a secondary bacterial infection.  

Antibiotics don’t kill viruses

Antibiotics are only effective to treat bacterial infections.  Illnesses such as the common cold, the stomach flu and influenza are generally caused by viruses and cannot be cured by antibiotics.  Viral infections are often treated symptomatically with rest and fluids to help your body feel better while your immune system fights off the virus.

Sometimes a secondary bacterial infection may develop following an initial viral infection.  A classic childhood example would be an ear ache and fever that develops towards the end of a cold.  In this case, if the pediatrician diagnoses a secondary ear infection, he may prescribe an antibiotic to help fight off bacteria that have infected the middle ear fluid.  Secondary bacterial infections can similarly occur in the sinuses or the lungs.

“Doc, I really want to head this one off”

Many people with viral infections look to take antibiotics to ‘prevent an ear infection’ or to try to ‘nip it’ before it gets worse.  Antibiotics should only be prescribed when your doctor feels that he is treating a specific bacterial infection.  Taking antibiotics at the start of a viral cold may kill off many bacteria that normally live in our bodies.  When these natural bacteria are killed off, it may allow more resistant bacteria to take over.  Now, if you develop fluid in your middle ear, you may develop a secondary ear infection caused by a more resistant bacteria.

What about cough and cold remedies?

Taking cough and cold medication will not speed up your recovery from an infection, nor will it prevent the progression to an ear, lung or sinus infection.  Improper dosing of these over the counter medications can result in serious side-effects in children and most pediatricians no longer recommend using these once popular cold remedies.  A humidifier and nasal saline drops can help to thin and clear out mucus, while plenty of fluids and rest will help the body fight off the infection.

To your good health

Proper nutrition, solid sleep, regular exercise and frequent hand-washing will help you stay healthy during this cold season. If you develop a cold that persists or you have worsening symptoms, please call your doctor for advice. Unless your doctor diagnoses a specific bacterial infection, he may not be doing you a favor by prescribing antibiotics.  So if you think you have a viral infection, try taking a nap and enjoying some of your grandmother’s famous chicken soup and save the antibiotics for when you really need them.

Dr. Dan Brennan is a board-certified pediatrician, Santa Barbara native and proud father of two who washes his hands about 100 times each day. His column can be found in the Daily Sound on the 1st and 3rd Fridays of each month. Please contact him at 563-6211 or visit  HYPERLINK "http://www.SBPediatrics.com" www.SBPediatrics.com

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Chicken soup : 2/20/2009

My grandma's chicken soup is the best!

soup lover

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