Coughing, sore throat, congested? Forget antibiotics; it’s a virus

“It’s not the cough that carries you off; it’s the coffin they carry you off in.” - Forney family wisdom

One day last week, one of the Beebe walk-in clinics where Dr. Doug Allen was working saw 45 different patients. “Thirty of them had the same thing,” he said. “Viral upper respiratory infection. Coughing, congestion, ringing ears and headaches. But it’s the coughing that drives them into the clinics. They’re crushing into the doctors’ offices and walk-ins. Most say they came because they have a cough.”

Allen serves as director of Beebe’s walk-in clinic network. Frequently classified as the common cold, viral upper respiratory infections are widespread now. “It starts when kids go back to school and really gets rolling around Thanksgiving when the weather turns colder,” he said. “People move inside, they’re in closer quarters with one another, and the virus spreads quickly through coughing, sneezing and hands. This is a highly contagious virus. That’s why it’s so important for people to cover their mouths and noses when they cough and sneeze, and wash their hands frequently. We have whole families that come into our clinics with this problem. We know that trying to get little kids to understand how important it is to cover their mouths when they cough is hard.”

Allen said it’s important for people to understand that these infections are not bacterial. “Antibiotics don’t do any good,” said Allen. “They’re useless against viruses. We get arguments every day from patients who insist they need antibiotics. The government is really hammering hard on not giving antibiotics. Certain conditions caused by the overuse of antibiotics can be dangerous or even life-threatening. Bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics. It’s already happening, and the concern is that eventually we’ll have no effective antibiotics to treat bacterial infections.”

Allen said few prescriptions have any benefit for those suffering from what I call the seasonal crud. “The best people can do is treat the symptoms with over-the-counter pain relievers and decongestants,” he said.

Viral infections are persistent. “No matter what we give people, the symptoms of a cough will take about 18 days to clear. The illness just has to run its course. A teaspoon of honey is about as good as any cough medicine. Honey with tea and lemon is also good. It’s important to get rest, stay hydrated, and take things like zinc, nasal saline, vitamin C and other things like that to help the body heal itself. But even with over-the-counter meds, the symptoms will take at least 10 days to let up.”

That prognosis gives credence to another piece of old family wisdom: “If you do everything the doctor tells you, get rest, and drink plenty of liquids, it will probably take about a week to get over your cold. Otherwise, it will take about seven days.