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Suggest Treatment For Upper Respiratory Infection

Posted on Mon, 25 Sep 2017

Question: How do you treat upper respiratory infections. I am 78 years old and have a long history of these episodes. There is no pattern to my URI's - get them once a year or not for several years.

Answered by Dr. Dr. Muhammad Sareer Khalil (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Upper respiratory tract infection

Detailed Answer:
Hello and Welcome

I appreciate your concern

If the URTI is bacterial then its treated with antibiotics. Clinical assessment is required to decide the course of treatment. The throat and chest needs to be examined. If there is high grade fever, any comorbid condition such as COPD, bronchial asthma or congestive cardiac failure then antibiotics may even be prescribed in viral respiratory tract infections to counter any superimposed bacterial infection. Antibiotics usually used are amoxicillin clavulanate or cefaclor Clarithromycin can be advised if there is a severe penicillin allergy.

To be on the safe side and prevent recurrent infections, influenza vaccine and pneumococcal vaccination should be done.

Wishing you best of health

Thanks

Let me know if you have any query

Please consult your doctor before deciding on any further course of action.

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Dr. M.S. Khalil

Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar