Hello.Steroids are effective drugs in the treatment sinus infection, ear infection or bronchitis,but should be used only a few days and when the symptoms are severe due to their side effects. The use of antibiotics depend on the pathology
(for example 90% of bronchitis are caused by viruses and is not necessary to prescribe antibiotic).I wish you good health.
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For the symptoms you described like fever coughing and sneezing, steroids are not indicated...its hard for me to believe that a doctor would prescribe steroid for simple things as cold and within the limits of my medical knowledge, I couldn't find any explanation for it.As you said,I believe steroids should be reserved for more serious condition. And also I would like to inform you one more thing.Antibiotics are useful in bacterial infections and not for viral infection like common cold.It requires antihistamines like cetrizine and supportive measures.Antibiotics cannot fight against viruses.Our bodies immune system is capable of fighting most viruses like the ones causing common cold and most viral fevers.Giving antibiotics unnecessary can lead to resistance which can make that antibiotic useless in future.
So it is better to avoid irrational use of steroids and also irrational use of antibiotics.