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Primary Care
Associates, P.C. AnMed Health Campus 2000 East Greenville Street Suite 1600 Anderson, South Carolina 29621 Telephone: 864.226.9193 |
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ANTIBIOTIC ABUSE "Patients come in expecting antibiotics," he says. "They often see them as a way to shorten a minor illness to get a child back in school or so a trip won’t have to be cancelled. They need to be more patient." Most upper respiratory infections or URIs are caused by viruses, Dr. Harter said, and antibiotics are completely ineffective against them. It’s only when a cold has lingered and a secondary bacterial infection has set in that antibiotics may be warranted. If you have had a cold for five to seven days, have fever, a thick green or yellow discharge from your nose, are coughing up mucous or experiencing shortness of breath or chest pain when you cough or breathe, you should see your doctor, he said. The danger of taking an antibiotic when it isn't needed is that it can lead to more resistant forms of bacteria that can be very difficult to treat. In other words, using an antibiotic unnecessarily may set you up for problems down the road when you really need an antibiotic. Dr. Harter said in some areas of South Carolina and Georgia, 24-28 percent of certain bacteria are resistant to common antibiotics. For most otherwise healthy people suffering from an URI, home care – and time – will do the trick. Dr. Harter recommends an over-the-counter decongestant such as Sudafed for making breathing easier and saline nose drops for clearing your nasal passages. There’s a recipe for the nose drops on page 338 of your Partners Healthwise® Handbook, along with lots of good information on other cold medications. Partners Nursewise Line nurses are handling many calls this winter from people with cold symptoms. Calls are free, confidential and taken 24 hours a day at 261-2001 in Anderson County or 1-888-525-1333 in Oconee, Pickens and Hart counties. You can also find links to good, credible health information on the Internet at the Partners for a Healthy Community website, www.healthy-community.org. Click "Health questions?" on the home page. |
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