From the Guidelines
The most effective treatment for common illnesses involves a combination of rest, hydration, and targeted medications, with a focus on symptomatic relief and avoiding unnecessary antibiotic use, as recommended by the American College of Physicians and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Key Considerations
- For the common cold, treatment includes rest, drinking plenty of fluids, and over-the-counter medications like acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) at recommended doses to reduce fever and relieve pain.
- Decongestants such as pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) and antihistamines like diphenhydramine (Benadryl) may provide symptomatic relief for nasal congestion and runny nose.
- Antibiotics should be reserved for bacterial infections, such as streptococcal pharyngitis, and used judiciously to minimize the risk of antibiotic resistance.
Treatment Guidelines
- For acute rhinosinusitis, clinicians should reserve antibiotic treatment for patients with persistent symptoms for more than 10 days, onset of severe symptoms, or worsening symptoms after initial improvement 2, 4.
- For the common cold, symptomatic therapy is the recommended management strategy, with antibiotics not prescribed due to lack of effectiveness and increased risk of adverse effects 1, 5.
- Patients seeking medical advice for common illnesses should be advised on the risks and benefits of symptomatic therapy and assured that antibiotics are not needed and may have adverse effects.
Important Notes
- Always consult a healthcare provider for persistent symptoms, high fever, difficulty breathing, or if symptoms worsen after initial improvement.
- The most efficient means of reducing the spread of common illnesses is appropriate handwashing, as direct hand contact is the most efficient means of transmission 5.
From the FDA Drug Label
The FDA drug label does not answer the question.
From the Research
Effective Treatments for Common Illnesses
- The most effective treatments for common illnesses, such as upper respiratory tract infections, depend on the specific condition and its cause 6, 7, 8.
- For upper respiratory tract infections, antibiotic treatment is not always necessary, and the use of antibiotics should be judicious and evidence-based to prevent adverse effects and drug resistance 7, 8.
- Recommended therapy for the common cold involves symptom management with over-the-counter drugs, while antibiotics are not recommended unless symptoms worsen or do not improve after an additional 7 days 8.
- For acute pharyngitis, antibiotics should be prescribed only if test or culture results are positive, and for acute otitis media, antibiotics may be indicated in certain cases, such as in children younger than 6 months or with bilateral otitis media 7, 8.
Treatment of Upper Respiratory Tract Infections in Children
- Acute respiratory tract infections are the most common diseases of childhood, and the treatment includes antimicrobial therapy, relief of symptoms, and application of general principles of child treatment 9.
- The choice of antimicrobial drug is based on the evidence of agents and their sensitivity to antimicrobial drugs, age, patient's condition, previous treatment, and possible allergic reactions to the drug 9.
Barriers to Effective Management
- Laboratory tests for etiologic agents of respiratory tract infections are often insensitive and slow, and therapy is generally presumptive and instituted before there is a clear understanding of etiology 10.
- The increasing prevalence of resistance to existing antibacterial agents among respiratory tract pathogens is a major barrier to the confident prescribing of empiric therapies for respiratory tract infections 10.