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Why are antiviral drugs only used to treat more dangerous viruses?
Wiki User
∙ 15y ago
people have only spent the time and money to come up with drugs that work for the more serious viruses. also, antiviral drugs generally have significant side effects and aren't great at stopping their respective viruses... so it's only worth the side effects for viruses that are actually somewhat serious. there's no good anti-cold drug because there are hundreds of common cold viruses and they're mutating/changing all the time.
Wiki User
∙ 15y ago
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What are antiviral drugs used to treat?
Antivirals are used to treat infections caused by viruses.
What is an antiviral drug?
An antiviral drug is a medication used to treat viral infections by either inhibiting the virus from replicating in the body or boosting the body’s immune response to fight off the virus. These drugs are specific to certain viruses and can help reduce symptoms, shorten the duration of the illness, and prevent complications.
Do antiviral drugs prevent Swine Flu?
Antiviral drugs can be used to treat swine flu or to prevent infection with swine flu viruses.They must be prescribed by a health care professional.They work against influenza viruses -- but will not help treat or prevent symptoms caused by infection from other viruses that can cause symptoms similar to the flu.The CDC recommends the use of oseltamivir or zanamivir for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with swine influenza viruses.Recommendations for using antiviral drugs for treatment or prevention of swine influenza will change as we learn more about this new virus.
Why is there no such thing as an 'antiviral' pill that kills all viruses wouldn't it help fix stuff like HIV and other deadly viruses for good?
From a scientific point of view, it would be virtually impossible to have "one" antiviral medication that would kill all viruses. There is no "one" antibiotic that kills all bacteria. These microorganisms are all different and are not likely to respond to just one medication. Ex: It takes a cocktail of 4 drugs just to treat TB.
How antiviral drugs work?
The drug gives the patient a weakened form of the virus. The body's immune system 'learns' what the virus is and produces anti-bodies to fight the infection. The anti-bodies remain in the patient's bloodstream - ready to fight the full-blown disease, should they catch it in later life.
How do you treat viruses?
Remaining healthy is important if a person wishes to live longer, or be active for longer periods of time. Viruses are very tricky to treat, because they live within blood cells, there are only few antiviral medications around.
Why might my doctor not give me any medications if I have a viral disease?
Viruses are not really alive and can't be treated by any antibiotics. Or there may not be any antiviral that will treat your virus.
What type of conditions are cephalosporins prescribed to treat?
Physicians may prescribe these drugs to treat pneumonia, strep throat, staph infections, tonsillitis, bronchitis, and gonorrhea. These drugs will not work for colds, flu, and other infections caused by viruses.
Is there any medicines for virus dieseases?
Yes there are plenty of drugs that treat viral infections or diseases. Tamiflu is generally used in viral infections. Valtrex is used to treat herpes and Zovirax in viral cold sores. There are plenty of antiretroviral drugs and all HIV medications are antiviral. There are many other drugs available, ask your pharmacist for more details or help.
How do you treat herpes?
There is no cure. Antiviral medications can shorten the outbreaks and reduce their frequency.
What is the superbug?
Super bugs are a class of viruses and bacteria that are resistant or immune to antibiotics. They are a growing concern because they are appearing faster than we can make drugs that can treat them.
Why are viral infections more difficult to treat than bacterial infections?
That is a difficult one. It depends on the virus and the bacteria. Most viruses cause self-limiting diseases, that are treated with supportive measurements. Other viruses, such as Influenza, Cytomegalovirus and Herpes, and HIV, can be treated with specific drugs. There are different drugs that treat different types of bacteria, with more or less success. But remember that viruses and bacteria are live organisms, and they can and do develop resistance to the drugs that kill them. Even more, bacteria can even pass on the learned resistance to other bacteria.
