infections
Overview of Viral Infections
Treatment of Viral Infections
Treatment of symptoms Sometimes antiviral drugs There are no specific treatments for many viruses. However, many things can help relieve certain symptoms, such as the following: Dehydration: Plenty of fluids, sometimes given by vein (intravenously) Diarrhea: Sometimes an antidiarrheal medication, such asloperamide or Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) Nausea and vomiting: A clear-liquid diet and sometimes an antiemetic (antinausea) medication, such asondansetron Some rashes: Soothing or moisturizing creams and sometimes an antihistamine taken by mouth for itching A runny nose: Sometimes nasal decongestants, such asphenylephrineor phenylpropanolamine A sore throat: Sometimes throat-numbing lozenges containingbenzocaineor dyclonine Not everyone who has these symptoms needs treatment. If symptoms are mild, it may be better to wait for them to go away on their own. Some treatments may not be appropriate for infants and young children. Medications that combat viral infections are called antiviral drugs. Many viral infections do not have effective antiviral drugs available to treat them. However, there are several Treatment , many drugs for infection by one or more herpesviruses (see table Many antiviral drugs work by interfering with replication of viruses. Most drugs used to treat HIV infection work this way. Because viruses are tiny and replicate inside cells using the cells' own metabolic functions, there are only a limited number of metabolic functions that antiviral drugs can target. In contrast, bacteria are relatively large organisms, commonly reproduce by themselves outside of cells, and have many metabolic functions that antibacterial drugs (antibiotics) can target. Therefore, antiviral drugs are much more difficult to develop than antibiotics. Also, unlike antibiotics, which are usually effective against many different species of bacteria, most antiviral drugs are usually effective against only one (or a very few) viruses. Antiviral drugs can be toxic to human cells. Also, viruses can develop resistance to antiviral drugs. Most antiviral drugs can be given by mouth. Some can also be given by injection into a vein (intravenously) or muscle (intramuscularly). Some are applied as ointments, creams, or eye drops or are inhaled as a powder. Antibiotics are not effective against viral infections, but if a person has a bacterial infection in addition to a viral infection, an antibiotic is often necessary. Interferonsare replicas of naturally occurring substances that slow or stop viral replication. These drugs are used to treat certain viral infections such as Hepatitis B, Chronic None Hepatitis C, Chronic None Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Infection None Interferons may have side effects, such as fever, chills, weakness, and muscle aches. These effects typically start 7 to 12 hours after the first injection and last up to 12 hours. from the blood of a person who has recovered from the viral infection (convalescent serum) and antibodies that are produced in a laboratory from living cells that have been altered to produce the desired antibodies ( Monoclonal Antibodies ) are used to treat some viral infections including (for example, 