Airway infections

What is a respiratory infection?

A respiratory infection is an infection of the respiratory tract, such as your nose, throat or lungs. Examples include the common cold, flu or pneumonia. Most respiratory infections are caused by viruses. Sometimes bacteria can play a role, such as pneumonia. Respiratory infections can cause symptoms such as coughing, sore throat, fever and shortness of breath.

What can you do yourself?

With a respiratory infection, it is important to take good care of yourself. You can often relieve many symptoms by taking rest, drinking plenty of water and possibly taking paracetamol for pain and fever. Also be sure to wash your hands regularly to prevent the spread of the virus. If you smoke, it is wise to quit or at least smoke less. Smoking can make the symptoms worse.

When should you see your doctor?

In most cases, a respiratory infection goes away on its own. But there are situations when it is better to contact your doctor. This is the case, for example, if you:

still have a high fever after a week;
are getting sicker and sicker or have trouble breathing;
have a weakened immune system due to another illness or medication;
are older than 75 years

The family doctor can examine you and determine if additional treatment is needed, for example, with antibiotics. Antibiotics help only if a bacterium is the cause of the infection, not a virus.

What can the pharmacy do for you?

If you are prescribed an antibiotic, we will explain how to use it. It is important that you always finish a course of antibiotics, even if you already feel better. If you stop too soon, bacteria can survive and become resistant to antibiotics. That means the antibiotics won't work as well with the next infection.

Overview of medications for respiratory infections

A variety of medications can be used for respiratory infections. Here is an overview:

Paracetamol: For pain relief and lowering fever.
NSAIDs (such as ibuprofen): For pain and anti-inflammation, if paracetamol does not help enough.
Antibiotics (for bacterial infections): Such as amoxicillin or doxycycline. Only prescribed if there is a bacterial infection.
Cough medicines: Such as cough medicine or lozenges. These soothe the throat, can thin mucus and reduce cough symptoms.

How can we help you further?

The pharmacy can also give advice on prevention. For example, about vaccinations, such as the flu shot. With chronic conditions such as asthma or COPD, respiratory infections are particularly annoying. We help you think about how best to use your medication. For example, we check whether you use inhalation medication correctly.