“Is antibiotic required to treat seasonal cough and cold?”
I am a mother of a 5 year old boy. Every time my son gets a bout of cough and cold due to season changes, the doctors prescribe antibiotics. Is is necessary to have antibiotics even during seasonal cough and colds?
3 Answers
Dear concerned mom,
Very good question. No, antibiotics are not required and most of the time not needed for seasonal colds. During the changes of the seasons in patients with inhalant allergies, the immune system is more prone/suspected to viral illnesses. So, it is not uncommon for people to "get sick" during the peak of allergy season - honestly, even for us it is hard to tell the difference between a cold and allergies - symptoms overlap a lot. Since most of those situations are viral in nature, antibiotic use should be reserved only if the patient has a high fever, on exam, there is evidence of bacterial supra infection, or the symptoms have been present or worsening after 7-10 days. I hope that helps.
Sincerely,
Monika Korff, MD
Very good question. No, antibiotics are not required and most of the time not needed for seasonal colds. During the changes of the seasons in patients with inhalant allergies, the immune system is more prone/suspected to viral illnesses. So, it is not uncommon for people to "get sick" during the peak of allergy season - honestly, even for us it is hard to tell the difference between a cold and allergies - symptoms overlap a lot. Since most of those situations are viral in nature, antibiotic use should be reserved only if the patient has a high fever, on exam, there is evidence of bacterial supra infection, or the symptoms have been present or worsening after 7-10 days. I hope that helps.
Sincerely,
Monika Korff, MD
Yes and no. Allergies can promote respiratory tract infection. We published a paper in the past showing that hayfever can increase the frequency of sinus infection that might require antibiotic treatment. For further information, check with your local Allergist-Immunologist.
Talal M. Nsouli, M.D., FACIP, FACAAI, FAAAAI
Talal M. Nsouli, M.D., FACIP, FACAAI, FAAAAI
It is important to know the cause of the cough. Sometimes this is asthma aggravated by a viral illness. If it is asthma, the asthma therapy may stop the cough. If it is a viral infection, no antibiotic is needed. If it is a bacterial infection, then antibiotic is needed. If this is a frequent problem, then an allergy consult may be needed.
