Protect Your Body Against A Viral Invasion

Unlike antibiotics used to treat bacterial infections, there is no specific class of drugs that treat viral infections such as influenza and the common cold. Both are also the leading cause of patient visits to physicians and account for the most number of absences from school and work compared to any other illness. The first step to treating a bacterial or a viral infection is to distinguish one from the other. The symptoms are fairly similar, so a visit to your physician may be necessary.

In order to determine which type of infection is causing the symptoms, a doctor may run a CBC blood test, which is used as a broad screening procedure to check for disorders such as anemia (decrease in red blood cells or hemoglobin), infection, and many other diseases. Depending on the situation, a culture (blood, urine, throat, etc.) may also be necessary. The cultures are often sent out to a lab and the results may take a while to be received. Many Patients today demand a "quick fix" that sometimes lead to doctors prescribing antibiotics for a viral infection. Antibiotics treat pathogenic bacterial infections, however, they cannot effectively treat viral infections.

Unfortunately, the use of antibiotics strips our gastrointestinal tract of essential friendly bacterial cultures. Nausea and upset stomach are usually indicative of this occurrence. To repopulate the culture of good bacteria coniser taking a probiotic or "healthy bacteria."

The following can help a person with a cold or flu feel better:

CBC Blood Test and Bacterial Cultures

Both CBC blood tests and bacterial cultures help distinguish between bacterial and viral infections. Normally part of a routine medical exam, CBC tests help identify serious problems before they get worse. The CBC test provides a complete count of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets in an individual's blood. Complete blood count testing is actually a panel of tests that help physicians examine different parts of their patients' blood.

The CBC is used as a broad screening test to check for such disorders as anemia, infection, and many other diseases. If the blood test indicates increased white blood cell count, it is indicative of bacterial infections. Viral infections result in a decreased white blood cell count. Results from CBC blood tests will provide your doctor with a general overview of your health.

Your doctor may order blood, throat, urine, or sputum (secretion produced in the lungs and the bronchi) cultures when you are having symptoms of sepsis (bacterial infection), which indicate that bacteria or their byproducts are causing harm in your body. The cultures help determine the type of bacterial infection. Blood cultures are drawn more frequently in newborns who may have an infection, but may not have the typical signs and symptoms of sepsis. Similarly, blood cultures are collected in young children to detect serious infections.

Common pathogenic bacterial cultures include: