News
Winter Illnesses and Antibiotics
At Mt Eden Village Doctors, we are committed to using antibiotics carefully and appropriately. This is known as antimicrobial stewardship: using antibiotics when they are genuinely needed, while avoiding them when they are unlikely to help. We utilise evidence based pathways and the recently updated Aotearoa Antibiotic Prescribing Guideline to ensure our prescribing is inline with NZ standards and in the best interests of our patients and the wider community.
Why don't I need antibiotics?
Antibiotics treat bacterial infections, not viruses. Taking an antibiotic for a viral infection such as a common cold will not make you recover faster. Many bacterial infections are also are self-limiting, meaning they will resolve without the requirement for antibiotics.
Antibiotics can also cause side effects, including diarrhoea, nausea, rashes and disruption of healthy bacteria in your body. Importantly, unnecessary antibiotic use contributes to antibiotic resistance, making some infections increasingly difficult to treat.
How long should a winter illness last?
Knowing what is normal can be reassuring. Common symptoms can last longer than many people expect:
- Fever: usually 3-5 days
- Headache or sore throat: around 1 week
- Blocked nose: 7-10 days
- Runny nose: up to 2 weeks
- Cough: often 2-4 weeks
When might antibiotics be needed?
There are some infections where antibiotics are important, including pneumonia and whooping cough (pertussis). For other conditions such as ear infections, sinusitis and sore throats, antibiotics may be appropriate in certain circumstances, depending on the severity of symptoms, how long they have lasted and individual risk factors.
An assessment by your doctor can be helpful and especially important if you are very unwell, your symptoms are worsening, you are not improving as expected, or you have frail health or risk factors for specific complications.
