Infected with a flu or other viral infection, people begin to actively treat to avoid any complications. In this case, even therapists, in addition to standard measures, often prescribe antibiotics for ARVI. But, despite the annual improvement of this group of drugs, they can do more harm than good, especially if they are used without real need.
Can I treat ARVI with antibiotics?
The answer to this question is simpler if you understand the origin of the pathology.
The causative agents of any ARVI are viruses. It is noteworthy that in 99.9% of cases of acute respiratory diseases the cause of inflammation is also these pathogenic cells. They are a protein compound containing genetic material in the form of RNA or DNA.
Antibiotics are only for fighting bacteria. Microbes are a primitive but full-fledged microorganism. However, it does not contain either DNA or RNA.
Thus, taking antibiotics from ARVI is meaningless, such medicines do not produce any effect on viruses. Moreover, such a therapeutic approach can harm the body, because antibacterial agents have a harmful effect not only on pathogenic microbes, but also destroy useful microflora, reducing the activity of the immune system.
Do I need antibiotics for ARVI and when do I start drinking them?
As follows from the previous paragraph, antimicrobials should not be used against viral infections. But in the therapeutic practice, antibiotics are still prescribed for ARVI, starting from the first days of pathology development. This approach is explained by the doctor's attempt to prevent the attachment of secondary bacterial inflammation, which can complicate the course of the viral infection.
The expediency of the considered prevention is not proved. The intake of antibiotics leads to the death of both pathogenic and beneficial bacteria. Because of this, suppression of the immune system occurs, which is the main means of fighting viruses. As a result, the weakened organism is not able to cope with ARVI, and at the same time is not protected from the attachment of bacterial infection.
From all of the above, it follows that antibiotics are not needed and even dangerous in viral pathologies, in such cases, they should not be taken at all.
When treatment of ARVI with antibiotics is justified?
Indications for the appointment of antimicrobial agents in the treatment of viral infections can only be the following pathologies:
- pneumonia;
- anaerobic, streptococcal angina;
- suppurative complications (sinusitis, lymphadenitis );
- descending laryngotracheitis;
- acute otitis media;
- paratonzillar abscess;
- inflammation of the paranasal sinuses for more than 14 days.
Sometimes the use of antibiotics in the case of recurrent chronic otitis media, as well as the presence of obvious clinical manifestations of immunodeficiency.
What antibiotic to drink in ARVI in the presence of evidence?
Before the beginning of antibacterial treatment it is desirable to pass an analysis that will show which microbes have caused inflammation and how sensitive they are to various drugs.
In the majority of cases, one wide-spectrum antibiotic with
- Ampioks;
- Flemoxin-Solutab;
- Amoxicillin;
- Sumamed;
- Unidox-Solutab;
- Augmentin.