(HealthDay News) -- Bacterial and viral infections require different courses of treatment, even though both infections can make you feel sick. It's important to remember that antibiotics can only help treat bacterial infections, not those that are viral.
Here are some indicators of whether your infection is bacterial or viral, courtesy of the National Information Program on Antibiotics:
- Illnesses caused by a virus typically don't last more than 10 days, while those caused by bacteria can cause symptoms for more than two weeks.
- Symptoms like dry cough, runny nose, sore throat, aches, and chills are usually caused by viruses.
- In adults, sore throat without a high fever is usually caused by a virus.
- Frequent cough, persistent high temperature, and colored nasal discharge are symptoms usually caused by bacteria, especially if they last more than two weeks.
