Most upper respiratory infections are caused by viruses and do not get better with antibiotics. Unnecessary antibiotic use can cause problems like Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) diarrhea and antibiotic resistance. The Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) published guidelines recommending when to start antibiotics for upper respiratory infections that may be caused by bacteria. You should start antibiotics if:
- your symptoms last for 10 days without improvement
- your symptoms are severe with a fever >100.4F or yellow/green mucus or facial pain
- your symptoms start to worsen after 4 days
The benefit of having a concierge doctor is that you can call us anytime to discuss your symptoms and to see if antibiotics are right for you.
