What is the difference between bacterial stds and viral

Antibiotics are medications used to treat bacterial infections. There are many types of antibiotics, but they all work to keep bacteria from effectively growing and dividing. Despite the fact that you should only take antibiotics for a bacterial infection, antibiotics are often requested for viral infections.

This is dangerous because over-prescribing antibiotics can lead to antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria adapt to be able to resist certain antibiotics. It can make many bacterial infections more difficult to treat. Skipping doses can prevent killing all of the pathogenic bacteria. Treatment is typically focused on relieving symptoms, while your body works to clear the infection.

This can include things like:. Some examples include medications like oseltamivir Tamiflu for influenza or valacyclovir Valtrex for herpes simplex or herpes zoster shingles viral infections. Be sure to wash your hands before eating, after using the bathroom, and before and after handling food. Many vaccines are available to help prevent various viral and bacterial illnesses. Examples of vaccine-preventable diseases include:.

If you must go out, wash your hands frequently and sneeze or cough into the crook of your elbow or into a tissue. Be sure to properly dispose of any used tissues. Using condoms or other barrier methods can help prevent getting sexually transmitted diseases STDs. Limiting your number of sexual partners has also been shown to reduce your risk of getting an STD.

Make sure all meats are cooked to the proper temperature. Be sure to thoroughly wash any raw fruits or vegetables before eating. Bacteria and viruses cause many common infections, and these infections can be transmitted in many of the same ways.

Sometimes your doctor can diagnose your condition by a simple physical examination. Other times, they may need to take a sample to culture to determine if a bacterial or viral infection is causing your illness. Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections.

Treatment of viral infections focuses on treating symptoms while the infection runs its course. Although in some cases, antiviral medications may be used.

This germophobe blesses us with her ultimate guide to getting through public restrooms unscathed by restroom nasties. There are several types of viral disease, depending on the underlying virus. A viral fever is a high body temperature that accompanies many viral infections. When it comes to your health, knowing the facts is crucial. Bacterial and viral STDs are caused by different pathogens.

Bacterial STDs, as you can guess, are caused by bacteria that enter the body either through skin contact or body fluids. This is where the lines can get blurred — viral STDs also enter the body via skin contact or body fluids. The difference is that a virus is introduced to your body instead of bacteria. A virus, which is a small infectious agent, can only regenerate within living cells of an organism. Bacteria are living cells that cause infections.

That can happen if a person is suffering from a herpes simplex or an HPV infection. Other kinds of viruses, however, will attack the immune system in much more pronounced ways. The human immunodeficiency virus HIV is one example.

If left untreated or identified too late, the HIV infection can impact the immune system in a detrimental way. That is when AIDS will develop. Antiretroviral medications administered to HIV patients keep the virus from replicating inside healthy bodily cells. Hence, such medications can help for the successful management of the condition. With early identification and correct therapy, a person who is HIV-positive can lead a long, productive and healthy life.

To make things a little bit more complicated, we need to talk about a third little organism that can be passed through unprotected sex. One of the most well-known examples of a parasitic STI is trichomoniasis. This condition is caused by a protozoan parasite called Trichomonas vaginalis.

Trichomoniasis is the most common curable STI and in the US alone, it affects more than two million people. Scabies is another kind of parasitic condition that can be passed from one sexual partner to another. Parasites much like viruses are organisms that seek a host. Luckily, parasites that cause STIs can be eradicated through the administration of the right kind of medication.