Category: Health

Strep throat is an infection in your throat and tonsils caused by a type of bacteria called group A Streptococcus (group A strep). Strep throat causes severe inflammation and a sore throat. A healthcare provider can typically diagnose the condition with a rapid strep test or a throat culture. Treatment usually includes antibiotics.

What is strep throat?

Strep throat is an infection in your throat and tonsils (the lymph nodes in the back of your mouth). With strep throat, your tonsils become very inflamed. This inflammation typically affects the surrounding area of your throat as well, which causes a sore throat (pharyngitis).

Strep throat gets its name from the type of bacteria that causes it — group A Streptococcus. There are more than 120 strains of group A Streptococcus bacteria. Strep throat is a type of group A streptococcal (GAS) infection.

Strep throat rarely causes more serious illnesses such as rheumatic fever, a disease that can cause permanent damage to your heart and heart valves. Therefore, it’s important to see a healthcare provider for a prompt diagnosis and treatment. With proper treatment, your strep throat should resolve within seven to 10 days.

Who does strep throat affect?

Strep throat is most common in school-aged children between the ages of 5 and 15. But it can affect siblings, parents, teachers and other caregivers that have direct contact with a school-aged child.

In addition, people in group settings have a higher risk of getting strep throat. Group settings may include households, daycares, schools (including colleges) and military barracks.

How common is strep throat?

Healthcare providers see more than 616 million new cases of strep throat around the world each year. Strep throat is the most common cause of sore throat in adults and children. The condition accounts for 5% to 15% of new cases of sore throat in adults in the U.S. It accounts for 15% to 35% of new cases of sore throat in children in the U.S.

What are the symptoms of strep throat?

Early strep throat symptoms include a sore throat that starts suddenly. In addition, you may develop a fever very quickly, with your highest temperature on the second day of infection.

Other signs of strep throat may include:

• Chills.
• Headache.
• Loss of appetite.
• Abdominal pain.
• Nausea and vomiting.

One symptom that strep throat doesn’t normally cause is a cough. If you have a cough and other cold symptoms, you probably have a viral infection, not strep throat.

In addition, some people with strep throat may not develop any symptoms.

What does strep throat look like?

If you have strep throat, your throat and tonsils may appear red, sore and swollen. You may also have white patches, spots or streaks of pus on your throat and tonsils. In addition, you may develop tiny, red spots on the roof of your mouth called petechiae.

Depending on the strain of bacteria, you may also develop a strep throat rash known as scarlet fever. It shows up on your neck and chest first, but it may spread to other parts of your body.

Group A Streptococcus bacteria can also infect your skin and cause sores. When this occurs, the infection is called impetigo.

What does strep throat feel like?

Strep throat is typically a mild condition, but the infection can be very painful. Your sore throat may be severe and very uncomfortable. The lymph nodes in your neck may be very tender and swollen. You may have pain when swallowing. If you have a sore throat rash, it may feel rough like sandpaper.

How do you get strep throat?

A type of bacteria known as group A Streptococcus (group A strep) causes strep throat. This makes strep throat different from most other cases of sore throat, which occur due to viruses.

Is strep throat contagious?

Yes. Strep throat is very contagious. Some people with the infection don’t have symptoms or look sick. But even if you don’t have symptoms, you can still easily spread the infection to others. However, people who exhibit symptoms or appear sick are more contagious than people who don’t have symptoms.

How does strep throat spread?

Strep throat spreads from person to person very easily, especially among members of the same household. You can spread the bacteria that causes strep throat to other people through respiratory droplets and direct contact.

Respiratory droplets

The bacteria that cause strep throat often live in your nose and throat. When you sneeze, cough or talk, you can spread the infection through respiratory droplets. Other people can get the infection if they:

• Breathe in the droplets.
• Touch something that contains the droplets and then touch their nose or mouth.
• Share personal items (such as drinking from the same glass).

Direct contact

The bacteria that cause strep throat may live in infected sores on your skin. Other people can get the infection if they touch your sores or come into contact with the fluid from them.

How long is strep throat contagious?

The incubation period for strep throat is two to five days. An incubation period is the time between when you get infected and when symptoms develop. You can spread the infection to others during this time. If you’re taking antibiotics, you won’t be contagious after the first 24 to 48 hours of treatment.

How is strep throat diagnosed?

If you think you may have strep throat, you should see a healthcare provider. The provider will ask about your symptoms and perform a physical exam. They may also give you a strep test. Viral illnesses can have the same symptoms as strep throat. That’s why it’s important that you take a strep test to confirm the presence of group A Streptococcus bacteria in your throat.

What is a strep test?

A strep throat test will check for group A Streptococcus bacteria in your throat. The test is painless — although it can be uncomfortable for some — and takes very little time. A healthcare provider will use the tip of a specialized long cotton swab to wipe the back of your throat. Then, the provider will either use the swab to perform a rapid strep test or send the swab to a laboratory for testing (throat culture).

A rapid strep test takes about 20 minutes. If the test is positive (the swab contained Streptococcus bacteria), you have strep throat. If the test is negative (no signs of Streptococcus on the swab), you may not have strep throat. However, the provider may send the throat swab to a laboratory to double-check the results with a throat culture.

With a throat culture, a lab technician smears your swab onto a culture dish. It takes one to two days to see if Streptococcus bacteria grow from it. Throat cultures can sometimes find bacteria that rapid strep tests miss.

How do you get rid of strep throat?

Strep throat treatment includes antibiotics. An antibiotic is a type of medicine that kills the bacteria that cause an infection.

Penicillin and amoxicillin are common antibiotics healthcare providers use to treat strep throat. If you’re allergic to penicillin, the provider can prescribe another antibiotic.

A healthcare provider may give you an antibiotic shot, or they may prescribe an antibiotic in either pill or liquid form. You’ll usually take the pills or liquid for 10 days. Follow your provider’s instructions. You should take all of the medication, even if you feel better. The bacteria can still be alive even if you’re feeling well.

How can I get rid of strep throat overnight?

Unfortunately, you can’t cure strep throat overnight. A type of bacteria causes strep throat. Therefore, you need an antibiotic to clear it up. After starting on an antibiotic, you should start to feel better within a day or two. Until then, there are things you can do to manage your symptoms, such as drinking warm liquids and taking pain relievers.

How can I prevent strep throat?

The best way to prevent strep throat is by practicing good hygiene. You should wash your hands frequently with soap and water for 20 seconds. It’s especially important to wash your hands before eating (to protect yourself) and after coughing and sneezing (to protect others). There are other steps you can take to prevent strep throat, including:

• Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water aren’t available.
• If possible, cough or sneeze into a tissue. Throw your used tissue in the garbage.
• If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow, not your hands.
• Don’t share cups and utensils with anyone who’s sick, and don’t share your own when you’re sick.

How long does strep throat last?

You should start to feel better within a day or two of beginning an antibiotic. Most symptoms of strep throat should be gone within seven to 10 days.

When can I go back to work/school?

If you don’t have a fever, you can return to regular activities 24 hours after taking your first dose of an antibiotic.

Does strep throat go away on its own?

No, strep throat won’t go away on its own. A type of bacteria causes strep throat, and antibiotics treat infections caused by bacteria. Strep throat can lead to more serious illnesses if not treated, so it’s important to start on antibiotics immediately.

What kind of complications can strep throat cause?

Left untreated, the bacteria that cause strep throat can spread to other parts of your body. This can cause serious complications, including:

• Ear or sinus infections: Infections can occur when bacteria cause swelling and inflammation in your ears or sinuses.
• Abscesses: Pockets of pus (abscesses) can form around your tonsils.
• Guttate psoriasis: A skin condition that causes small, red and scaly teardrop-shaped spots to develop on your arms, legs and torso.
• Scarlet fever: An infection that causes a red, bumpy rash all over your body.
• Rheumatic fever: A disease that mainly affects your heart valves.
• Post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis: A kidney disease that can develop after strep infections.
• Invasive streptococcal infection: An infection that can occur when bacteria enter your tissue. It can be life-threatening, with conditions occurring such as streptococcal toxic shock syndrome, necrotizing fasciitis and other severe infections. This can ultimately lead to rapid decline and death.

What are some home remedies for strep throat?

There are many sore throat home remedies that can help relieve your symptoms. Strep throat self-care tips that you can try include:

• Eat soft foods, such as applesauce.
• Drink soothing liquids, such as warm tea.
• Gargle with warm salt water.
• Suck on age-appropriate throat lozenges or ice pops.
• Get plenty of sleep.
• Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water.
• Use a cool-mist vaporizer or humidifier.
• Take a pain reliever, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol®) or ibuprofen (Advil®).

Don’t give your child aspirin. Aspirin can cause a life-threatening illness called Reye’s syndrome in children and adolescents who have fevers.

When should I see my healthcare provider?

If you’re not getting better, let your healthcare provider know right away. You shouldn’t stop taking your antibiotic unless directed by your provider.

Call your provider if you aren’t improving one to two days after starting the antibiotic. You should also call if you have any of the following symptoms:

• Fever one or two days after feeling better.
• Nausea or vomiting.
• Earache.
• Headache.
• Skin rash.
• Cough.
• Swollen glands.
• Painful joints.
• Muscle pain.
• Shortness of breath.
• Dark urine, rash or chest pain (may occur three to four weeks later).

What questions should I ask my healthcare provider?

• When will I hear back about the results of my throat culture?
• Do I need to take an antibiotic? If so, what kind?
• What can I do to relieve my symptoms at home?
• How long am I contagious?
• Is there something wrong with my tonsils?

A note from QBan Health Care Services

Strep throat can cause fever, inflammation and a severe sore throat. While the infection can be painful, it’s easily treatable. But don’t try to treat strep throat at home. A type of bacteria causes strep throat, so you’ll need an antibiotic to clear it up. It’s important that you receive a proper diagnosis and treatment. So speak with a healthcare provider to get started on antibiotics. With proper treatment, your strep throat should be gone within 10 days.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a seasonal, highly contagious respiratory virus that often feels like a common cold. But infants and some adults face a higher risk of severe symptoms and complications. Treatment usually involves at-home care. Some people need oxygen, fluids or other care at a hospital to fully recover.

What is RSV?

RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) is a virus that can lead to a respiratory infection in babies, children and adults of all ages. An RSV infection usually causes a mild, cold-like illness that goes away in one to two weeks. But RSV can sometimes cause severe symptoms and lead to complications, especially in children under age 5, adults over age 65 and people with a compromised immune system.

Washing your hands often and avoiding large groups during respiratory season can help you and your family stay healthy. If you or your child come down with RSV, at-home care is often enough to manage symptoms until the infection clears. But some people need care at a hospital to fully recover.

What are common RSV symptoms?

RSV symptoms typically resemble those of a common cold and include: 

• Cough.
• Runny nose. 
• Congestion.
• Sneezing.
• Sore throat.
• Mild headache.
• Lack of energy.
• Fever.
• Decreased appetite.
• Lack of interest in playing (in babies and young children).

Babies younger than 6 months don’t always have typical cold symptoms. Instead, they may only:

• Seem fussy or irritable.
• Lack interest in playing.
• Have a decreased appetite.
• Have changes in their breathing patterns.

Severe RSV symptoms

Severe infections may lead to symptoms like: 

• Difficulty breathing.
• Pauses while breathing or short, shallow and fast breathing.
• Flaring (spreading out) of the nostrils while breathing.
• Wheezing.
• Noisy breathing.
• Blue or gray skin color.

What causes RSV?

RSV is a virus. It isn’t a bacterial infection. The specific virus responsible is a respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV for short.

How is RSV spread?

You catch RSV from close contact with someone with the infection or by touching a contaminated object and then touching your eyes, nose or mouth. In either case, saliva, mucus and snot are the vehicles that carry the virus from one person to another.

RSV can live on hard surfaces like tables for several hours. Meanwhile, if you touch that surface, you can pick up the virus on your hands. Washing your hands removes the virus and ends its journey there. But if you touch your face first, the virus can enter your body and make you sick.

How contagious is RSV?

RSV is very contagious. You can easily spread the virus while you have symptoms, which is usually a period of three to eight days. RSV spreads through respiratory droplets that leave your body when you cough or sneeze.  

What are the complications of RSV?

Complications of RSV include:

• Bronchiolitis.
• Pneumonia.
• Acute bronchitis.
• Worsening of existing conditions like asthma, congestive heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
• Respiratory failure.
• Hypoxia or low oxygen levels.
• Dehydration.
• Ear infections.

Who’s most at risk of severe RSV?

Severe RSV infection and complications can affect children and adults of any age, including those who are otherwise healthy.

People most at risk include:

• Babies born early (premature birth).
• Children under 2 years of age.
• Children with certain underlying conditions like congenital heart disease or a compromised immune system.
• Adults over age 65.
• Adults with chronic lung conditions, heart disease or a compromised immune system.

How is RSV diagnosed?

Healthcare providers diagnose RSV by:

• Talking to you about your medical history and current symptoms.
• Doing a physical exam. This includes listening to your lungs with a stethoscope and checking your blood oxygen level with a pulse oximeter.
• Doing a swab test to check your mucus for RSV.
• Doing other tests like a chest X-ray to look for signs of complications.

What should I know about RSV treatment? 

There isn’t a specific treatment for RSV in children or adults. Antibiotics don’t treat RSV. Instead, healthcare providers recommend using treatments you’d typically use for a cold. For example, you might:

• Use over-the-counter (OTC) medications (like acetaminophen or ibuprofen) to bring down a fever. Always check with your provider or your pediatrician before using any medications.
• Use a cool-mist humidifier to help with breathing.
• Use nasal saline spray and suctioning for infants to relieve cough and congestion.
• Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.

The goal is to manage symptoms while the infection runs its course.

Treatment for severe RSV

Babies, children and adults with severe RSV may need to stay at a hospital (typically just for a few days) to recover. Providers may:

• Give you oxygen through a mask, nasal prongs or a breathing machine (ventilator).
• Give you fluids through an IV.
• Remove mucus from your airways.

How can I prevent RSV?

It’s not always possible to prevent RSV. But you can take some steps to protect your family from RSV and other respiratory viruses:

• Wash your hands. Always wash your hands after using the bathroom and before eating or preparing food. It’s also a good idea to lather up after touching commonly shared objects.
• Limit exposure to germs. Infants are especially vulnerable to viruses like RSV because the immune system is still developing. Avoid taking your baby among large crowds, especially during respiratory season. Also avoid play dates or other close contact with kids who are sick.
• Clean commonly touched surfaces. Disinfect toys, tables, doorknobs and other surfaces that people in your house touch often.
• Stay current on vaccines. Talk to your healthcare provider and your child’s pediatrician about recommended vaccines and when’s best to receive them. These include annual flu and COVID-19 shots.

Is there an RSV vaccine?

Yes. There’s a vaccine for RSV that certain adults are eligible to receive. There’s also a monoclonal antibody immunization for infants.

Here’s what to know:

• Adults age 60 and above are eligible to receive the RSV vaccine. If you’re 60 or older, it’s a good idea to talk to a healthcare provider about the RSV vaccine and whether they recommend you get it. Your provider will consider your overall health, including any chronic conditions you have or other risk factors that make RSV dangerous for you.
• Pregnant people are eligible to receive the RSV vaccine between weeks 32 and 36 of pregnancy. This protects your infant during their first six months of life.
• Babies up to 8 months old can get a monoclonal antibody immunization against RSV (nirsevimab). They should receive this single dose during or when entering their first RSV season. Some babies and toddlers who are 8 to 19 months old may benefit from another dose when entering their second RSV season. Your pediatrician might recommend this second dose if your child is at risk for severe RSV. Some children under age 2 at risk of severe RSV are eligible for a different monoclonal antibody immunization (palivizumab) that they receive monthly during RSV season.

Talk to your healthcare provider about what’s best for you and your family.

How do the RSV vaccine and immunization differ?

The RSV vaccine tells your immune system to create antibodies that destroy RSV in your body before the virus can do much harm. The RSV monoclonal antibody immunization gives your infant ready-made antibodies so their immune system (which is still developing) doesn’t have to produce them. These antibodies protect your baby from serious illness and hospitalization.

How long does RSV last?

Most people develop symptoms four to six days after exposure to RSV. Once they appear, symptoms usually clear up within two weeks, but the cough can linger in a mild form for several weeks after the initial infection. Severe cases of RSV may last longer. 

How long is RSV contagious?

RSV is contagious while you have symptoms, which is typically three to eight days. You may be able to spread RSV a day or two before you develop symptoms. Some babies, as well as people with compromised immune systems, may be contagious even after symptoms go away, for up to four weeks.

Is RSV deadly?

RSV can be deadly due to its complications. Each year in the U.S., RSV causes:

• About 100 to 300 deaths in children under age 5.
• About 6,000 to 10,000 deaths in adults age 65 and above.

Thankfully, immunizations can help lower your risk of serious illness or death from RSV.

When should I see my healthcare provider?

You can often manage RSV symptoms on your own. But you should call a healthcare provider if you have symptoms and at least one of the following applies to you: 

• You’re over age 65.
• You have a compromised immune system.
• You have a heart or lung condition.

Your provider will let you know if you should come in for a checkup. They’ll also help you identify signs of a severe infection that may need treatment.

Call a pediatrician if your child has RSV symptoms and is under the age of 3 months. You should also call if your child has any of the following:

• A temperature above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or 38 degrees Celsius (if your baby is under 3 months old).
• A fever above 104 degrees F and 40 degrees C (at any age).
• Symptoms that don’t improve or get worse after a week.
• Ear drainage or they tug at their ears. This may be a sign of an ear infection, which some babies with RSV also develop.

It’s also a good idea to call a pediatrician if your baby has any symptoms of RSV and is under 12 months old.

When should I go to the ER?

Visit the emergency room if you or your child has severe RSV symptoms, including changes to your breathing or blue or gray skin color.

What does RSV stand for? 

RSV stands for respiratory syncytial virus. Syncytial is pronounced sin-SISH-uhl.

Do antibiotics treat RSV?

No. Antibiotics treat bacterial infections and don’t work on viral infections like RSV. Your provider may prescribe antibiotics if you also develop a bacterial infection like bacterial pneumonia.

Can you get RSV twice?

Yes. It’s possible to get RSV many times throughout your life. Some people get it twice within the same year.

Is RSV seasonal?

Yes. RSV is a seasonal illness, like the flu. In most areas of the U.S., RSV is most active from October through March.

A note from QBan Health Care Services

RSV is never a welcome guest in your home. And sometimes even the most diligent preventive measures aren’t enough to keep it away. It’s hard dealing with seasonal viruses, and when they cause severe symptoms, the situation can get downright scary.

The good news is healthcare providers are prepared to handle RSV if it becomes serious. They can also treat complications. The key is recognizing when to seek care. Don’t hesitate to reach out to a provider if you or anyone in your family has RSV symptoms. Meanwhile, do whatever you can to stop the spread of RSV to others. From handwashing to staying home while sick, you can do a lot to help others stay healthy while you recover.

Stomach flu, viral gastroenteritis, is a viral infection in your digestive system. It causes gastrointestinal symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea. It’s usually brief, but can be very contagious.

What is stomach flu?

Stomach flu is a viral infection that affects your stomach and intestines. The medical term is viral gastroenteritis. “Gastro” means stomach and “enter” means small intestine. “Itis” means inflammation, which is usually due to an infection. And “viral” means that a virus has caused the infection.

Stomach flu causes gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms like diarrhea, abdominal cramps and nausea. You might also call it a “stomach bug.” A stomach bug isn’t always a virus — sometimes it’s bacteria or a parasite — but in any case, the symptoms are similar. You might not be able to tell if your bug is a virus or not.

Why is viral gastroenteritis called “stomach flu?”

Stomach flu isn’t related to “the flu” (influenza), which is a viral infection in your respiratory system. Different viruses cause the two conditions, and they affect different body systems. It’s not clear how the nickname “stomach flu” developed or why it’s been associated with influenza, but we can speculate.

Both are common viral infections that circulate during the same “flu season,” so people might use “flu” to simply mean, “I’m sick”. “Stomach flu” might be a way of saying, “I’m sick, and it’s the stomach one”. Even though a stomach bug isn’t always a virus, it’s likely to be, so “stomach flu” is a good guess.

How common is stomach flu?

Viral gastroenteritis is extremely common worldwide, but it’s hard to estimate exactly how many people get it each year. Many different viruses cause it, and most people don’t get clinically tested for it. Experts estimate that norovirus, the most common cause, infects 685 million people every year.

What are stomach flu symptoms?

The most common stomach flu symptoms are:

• Diarrhea.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Loss of appetite.
• Abdominal pain and cramping.

These symptoms come from inflammation in your stomach and intestines. (Although the name, gastroenteritis, refers to your stomach and small intestine, inflammation can spread to your large intestine, too). Inflammation is your immune system activating to fight the virus.

If your infection is more severe, or if your immune system reacts more strongly to it, you may have what are known as systemic symptoms. These symptoms come from inflammation in other body systems outside of your digestive system. This is the next level of immune response to the virus.

Systemic symptoms may include:

• Fever.
• Chills.
• Fatigue.
• Body aches.
• Headaches.
• Swollen lymph nodes.

What does the beginning of stomach flu feel like?

For many people, stomach flu symptoms seem to come on suddenly and out of nowhere. You might throw up or have diarrhea many times on that first day. Symptoms occur one to two days after you were exposed to the virus. Fortunately, they’re usually over just as quickly, resolving in one to two days.

What are the stages of stomach flu?

The stages of stomach flu infection are:

1. Exposure. You’re most likely to get the stomach flu from someone in your community, especially in a closed environment like a school, nursing home or cruise ship. Since symptoms take some time to develop, you might hear about an outbreak later, after you were exposed.
2. Incubation. Once you’ve contracted the virus, it’ll begin replicating inside your body. This is the incubation period. You won’t have symptoms until the virus replicates enough to alert your immune system. This usually takes a few days, depending on the virus.
3. Acute infection. Viral gastroenteritis is an acute infection, which means it’s sudden and temporary. When your immune system registers the threat, it activates an inflammatory response to clear the virus. This is what causes symptoms of illness. When it succeeds, the symptoms will stop.
4. Recovery. You’ll notice your symptoms lessening when your immune system has won the battle against the virus. Eventually, your symptoms will stop, and you’ll feel better. But you may continue to shed the virus in your poop (stool) for a few days, which means you’re still contagious.

How long does stomach flu last?

Stomach flu usually only lasts a few days, but it may last up to a week or two in severe cases. People with weaker immune systems may have a harder time defeating the virus, and it may take longer.

Is stomach flu contagious?

Yes, it’s very contagious. You should limit your contact with others when you have it. If you live with others, make sure to wash your hands often and disinfect shared surfaces, especially in the bathroom.

How long is the stomach flu contagious?

You’re most contagious during the acute phase of the infection (when you have symptoms) and for a few days after. However, you may still be a little contagious for up to two weeks after recovering.

What causes stomach flu?

Many different viruses can infect your gastrointestinal system, causing gastroenteritis.

The most common ones are:

• Norovirus. This is the leading cause of stomach flu in adults, estimated to account for 50% of cases worldwide. It’s more resistant than others to temperature and disinfectants.
• Rotavirus. Rotavirus is the leading cause of stomach flu in children worldwide. Most get it before age 3, which is why most adults are immune. There’s now a vaccine.
• Astrovirus. Astroviruses mostly affect children younger than 3. They commonly spread through daycare centers. But they can also spread through elder care homes.
• Adenovirus. Adenoviruses more often cause respiratory infections, but they can cause gastrointestinal infections if you accidentally ingest them. They infect all ages.

How does stomach flu spread?

Stomach flu usually spreads by the “fecal-to-oral route”. The virus lives in the poop — and vomit — of infected people. Microscopic traces of infected poop or vomit may linger on people’s hands or surfaces. These traces can transfer to food and water sources. You might ingest the virus through contaminated food or water, or by touching an infected person or surface and then touching your mouth.

Who gets stomach flu?

Anyone can get stomach flu, but certain people are more vulnerable. If you have a weaker-than-average immune system, you might be more likely to get an infection or get a more severe infection.

You might have a weaker immune system if you have a chronic disease that affects immunity or take immunosuppressant medications. Infants and elderly people are also more susceptible to infections.

What are the possible complications of stomach flu?

For most people, stomach flu is uncomplicated and self-limited. It goes away shortly by itself. But those with weaker immune systems may have a more severe infection and be more likely to experience complications.

The most likely complication is dehydration. This happens when you lose too many fluids and electrolytes from diarrhea or vomiting, and you can’t drink enough or drink fast enough to replace them.

People with weaker immune systems (especially children) are more likely to become dehydrated, and it can be especially dangerous for them. Stay alert for signs of dehydration, such as:

• Thirst.
• Lack of urine (pee) or dark-colored urine.
• Lack of poop or hard, dry poop.
• Weakness or malaise.
• Sunken eyes.
• Crying without tears.
• Dehydration headache.
• Dry lips and tongue.

How do healthcare providers diagnose stomach flu?

Healthcare providers often diagnose gastroenteritis based on your symptoms. They won’t know if it’s viral or which virus it is without doing a lab test to find out. But most of the time, this isn’t necessary. Since there isn’t any specific medicine for stomach flu, there’s no need to identify it, or the virus.

How do you get rid of stomach flu?

Your immune system gets rid of stomach flu through its own natural processes. It just takes a few days to do its work. Your symptoms, while unpleasant, are a sign that your immune system is working. There’s no medicine for stomach flu. Antibiotics don’t work on viruses — they’re for bacterial infections.

The best thing you can do to help your immune system do its work is to stay home and rest, stay hydrated and eat a little if you can. Give your body the energy it needs to fight the infection. To stay hydrated, take small sips throughout the day, before you feel thirsty, or suck on ice chips.

What helps stomach flu go away faster?

Some research shows that taking probiotics may help stomach flu go away faster. Probiotics are helpful bacteria that live in your gastrointestinal system. Having enough helpful bacteria in your gut is part of having a healthy immune system. Ask a healthcare provider if probiotics might help you.

What should you eat when you have stomach flu?

What you eat won’t improve stomach flu, but it can make it worse. Foods high in fat, sugar, caffeine or dairy milk might make you more likely to throw up or have diarrhea. You might have little appetite or feel nauseous at the thought of food. Focus on foods that are easy to digest and give you a quick dose of energy, like fruit juice popsicles, broths and saltine crackers. The salt can help replace your electrolytes.

Can healthcare providers treat severe symptoms or complications?

Healthcare providers can treat dehydration with intravenous fluids. This is a way of delivering hydration directly to your bloodstream, bypassing your digestive system. In some cases, healthcare providers may prescribe medications to reduce vomiting or diarrhea. They don’t prescribe these for children, though.

When should I see a healthcare provider about stomach flu?

Contact a healthcare provider if:

• Your symptoms haven’t improved after four days.
• You’ve had a high fever (above 102 degrees Fahrenheit or 39 degrees Celsius) for four days.
• You haven’t been able to pee or poop for two days.
• You suspect dehydration.
• You have blood in your poop.
• You have severe abdominal pain.

How can stomach flu be prevented?

You can reduce your risk of getting stomach flu or spreading it to others by practicing good hygiene.

This includes:

• Handwashing. Good handwashing is the most important defense against stomach flu viruses since hand sanitizer isn’t always effective. It’s especially important after going to the bathroom or changing a diaper and before coming into contact with food.
• Cleaning. Wash and disinfect any surfaces or materials that you or the infected person has touched. Use bleach and water (up to 25 tablespoons per gallon) to disinfect surfaces, especially in the bathroom. Use the high heat setting on your washing machine for bed linens and clothes.
• Safe food handling. Food may be contaminated with stomach flu viruses, bacteria or other organisms. Safe food prep can help reduce this risk. People already infected with stomach flu should avoid handling food for others, if possible.

When will I feel better?

For most people, symptoms get better in a few days. Contact a healthcare provider if they aren’t improving. People with weaker immune systems may need treatment for dehydration or medications to reduce their symptoms. It’s also possible that you have a different condition if you aren’t improving.

When can I return to work or school?

It’s best to say isolated until two days after your symptoms have stopped. This is the time when you’re most contagious. Even though your body has overcome the infection, you’ll still shed the live virus in your poop. If any trace of that poop comes into contact with another person, they could get sick.

What’s the difference between stomach flu and the flu (influenza)?

Stomach flu isn’t related to “the flu” (influenza), which is a viral infection in your respiratory system. The flu vaccine won’t protect you from stomach flu. Different viruses cause these two conditions, and they affect different body systems. Most of their symptoms are different, though a few may overlap.

Influenza causes respiratory symptoms like congestion, a sore throat or a runny nose. Stomach flu causes gastrointestinal symptoms, like diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. Both may cause “systemic symptoms” like fever and fatigue. Children may have some gastrointestinal symptoms with both.

What are “flu-like symptoms?”

People probably mean different things when they use this phrase. They might be referring to symptoms of influenza. Or they might be referring to systemic symptoms, which are more common with viral infections in general than with other types. Some people might mean gastrointestinal symptoms.

What’s the difference between stomach flu and food poisoning?

Stomach flu and food poisoning are both infections that cause gastroenteritis, with similar symptoms. The different names describe the different origins of the infection. Viral gastroenteritis comes from a virus, while food poisoning comes from eating food that’s contaminated, either by a virus or something else.

Food poisoning can cause stomach flu if you get the virus from food. This is common, and in this case, both names describe the same condition. But other types of contamination can also cause food poisoning, like bacteria. Bacterial food poisoning has a few small differences from stomach flu.

A note from QBan Health Care Services

Almost everyone gets stomach flu at some point. Since many different viruses can cause it, you may get it more than once. Children in daycare centers and schools and people in care facilities are more at risk of getting it from their communities, and they may experience more severe symptoms with it.

For most people, stomach flu is unpleasant but brief. But for some, it can be dangerous. If you care for a child or older person with stomach flu, watch for signs of dehydration and stay in touch with a healthcare provider. Take steps to protect yourself from the virus and to prevent it from spreading to others.

Parasitic infections are diseases caused by organisms that live off of another living thing. They can cause fever, fatigue, intestinal symptoms, skin rashes or neurological symptoms. You can get them from contaminated food, water or surfaces, bug bites and eating undercooked meat. Antiparasitic medications treat parasitic infections.

What is a parasitic infection?

Parasitic infections are any illnesses or conditions caused by parasites living and reproducing in your body. Parasites are organisms that need another living thing (a host) to get the nutrients they need to survive.

Parasitic infections often cause intestinal illness, with symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting. But they can also give you itchy skin rashes or infect other parts of your body, like your brain or lungs.

What are the types of parasitic infection?

There are three main types of parasites that cause infections in humans:

• Protozoa.
• Helminths.
• Ectoparasites.

Protozoal infections

Protozoa are single-celled parasites. They can infect your blood, intestinal tract (gut), brain, skin, eyes and other parts of your body.

Helminth infections

Helminth is a general term for parasitic worms. Scientists further classify them as flukes (trematodes), tapeworms (cestodes), roundworms (nematodes) and thorny-headed worms (acanthocephalans). Both adults and immature (larval) helminths can infect you. Helminths usually infect your intestinal tract, but they can also infect your skin, brain and other tissues.

Ectoparasitic infections

Ectoparasites are insects and arachnids (spider-like bugs) that burrow into your skin and live there. This includes ticks, mites, lice and fleas. They usually don’t infect other parts of your body.

What are the most common parasitic infections?

Millions of people around the world get parasitic infections every year. The most common parasitic infections include:

• Malaria.
• Toxoplasmosis.
• Head lice.
• Giardiasis.
• Pinworms.

Other examples of parasitic infections include:

• Trichomoniasis.
• Cryptosporidiosis.
• Cyclosporiasis.
• Cysticercosis.
• Strongyloidiasis.
• Tapeworm infections.
• Chagas disease.
• Leishmaniasis.
• Schistosomiasis.

What are the symptoms of parasitic infections?

Symptoms of parasitic infections depend on where in your body you’re infected. Some common symptoms include:

• Fever.
• Muscle aches.
• Fatigue.
• Nausea.
• Vomiting.
• Diarrhea.

Depending on where you’re infected, you might have:

• Neurological symptoms, like seizures, severe headache or disorientation.
• Skin symptoms, like redness, itching, rash or sores.

Sometimes parasitic infections don’t cause any symptoms.

How do you get parasitic infections?

You can get parasitic infections from:

• Drinking contaminated water or getting it in your mouth.
• Eating undercooked meats.
• Eating contaminated foods (like food washed with contaminated water).
• Mosquito bites, tick bites, fly bites or other bites from insects that carry parasites.
• Contaminated surfaces.
• Unprotected sex.
• Contaminated dirt (soil).

Some parasitic infections can pass from a pregnant person to the fetus.

What are the risk factors for parasitic infections?

Some parasitic infections, like pinworms, are common all over the world. Many other parasitic infections are more common in rural areas of the world without developed sanitation systems. People who are at higher risk for parasitic infections include:

• Young children and their parents or caregivers.
• People with compromised immune systems. This includes people with HIV/AIDS, cancer or those on immunosuppressive medications.

How are parasitic infections diagnosed?

Providers diagnose parasitic infections by looking for parasites or signs of parasites (like their eggs) in body fluids or tissues. To test you for parasites, a provider might take samples of your:

• Poop (stool).
• Blood.
• Skin or other affected tissue.
• Phlegm (sputum).
• Fluid around your brain and spinal cord (CNS fluid).

A provider may also use other tests, such as X-rays, MRI or CT scans to diagnose a parasitic infection, depending on your symptoms.

How do you know if you have a parasitic infection?

Symptoms of parasitic infections can be similar to many other infectious diseases. The only way to know for sure if you have a parasitic infection is to have a provider evaluate you.

How are parasitic infections treated?

Providers use different medications to treat various types of parasitic infections, including:

• Antiparasitics (anthelmintics or antiprotozoals).
• Antibiotics.
• Antifungals.

Sometimes you might need a combination of different medications to cure the infection. Your provider will select a treatment that’s best for the specific type of parasitic infection you have.

How do you get rid of parasites in your body?

Most parasites will only go away with medication or a combination of medications. Providers treat some skin infections, lice and mites with medicated lotions or shampoos.

Can parasitic infections be prevented?

Following a few precautions can reduce your risk of parasitic infections, including:

• Wash your hands frequently. It’s especially important to wash your hands when preparing food, before eating, after going to the bathroom and after changing diapers.
• Don’t swim when you have diarrhea. Wait until you haven’t had diarrhea for at least two weeks before swimming in a public pool again.
• Practice safe food habits. This includes storing food properly, heating meat and poultry to a safe temperature, and washing or peeling fruits and vegetables before eating.
• Use a condom or dental dam during any kind of sex.
• Protect yourself from bug bites. Wear protective clothing, use bug spray and sleep under mosquito netting if necessary.
• Be an informed traveler. Learn about infectious diseases in your destination that you may need to take special precautions against. Some precautions might include taking prophylactic medications (before you get sick) or getting vaccinated.

What can I expect if I have a parasitic infection?

What you can expect with a parasitic infection depends on:

• What kind you have.
• How severe it is.
• Whether or not you have a compromised immune system.
• How well you respond to standard treatments.

Some parasitic infections respond well to medications. But some infections can last for a long time or keep coming back. Ask your healthcare provider what to expect in your specific situation.

When should I see my healthcare provider?

See your healthcare provider if you have symptoms of a parasitic infection. Let them know if you recently:

• Traveled.
• Could have been bitten by a tick, mosquito or other bug, even if you don’t remember being bitten.
• Swam in water that could have been contaminated.
• Ate or drank something that could have been contaminated.

When should I go to ER?

Go to the emergency room if you experience any of these symptoms of severe illness:

• Fever over 103 degrees Fahrenheit or 40 degrees Celsius.
• Seizures.
• Confusion or disorientation.
• Yellowing of your skin or eyes (jaundice).
• Dehydration symptoms (like extreme thirst, peeing very little, weakness and high heart rate).

What questions should I ask my doctor?

It might be helpful to ask your healthcare provider:

• How did I get this infection?
• What are my treatment options?
• Am I contagious?
• How long until I feel better?
• How can I take care of myself at home?
• What new or worsening symptoms should I look out for?
• When should I follow up with you?

A note from QBan Health Care Services

Parasitic infections affect millions of people around the world. Some people show no signs of these infections, while others develop life-threatening symptoms. Providers can cure most parasitic infections with medication. You can also take precautions to protect yourself against infections, especially when you’re traveling. If you have symptoms of a parasitic infection, talk to a healthcare provider. They can tell you about treatment options and answer any concerns you have.

Viral infections are any illness you get from a virus (a small germ that uses your cells to reproduce). Common viral illnesses include colds, the flu, COVID-19, norovirus (“stomach flu”), HPV (warts) and herpes simplex virus (cold sores). Many viruses go away on their own, but some cause life-threatening or chronic illnesses.

What is a viral infection?

Viral infections are illnesses you get from tiny organisms that use your cells to make more copies of themselves (viruses). Viral infections commonly cause respiratory and digestive illnesses, but viruses can also infect most other parts of your body.

What is a virus?

A virus is a type of germ (pathogen) that’s so small, you can only see it under a microscope. All viruses carry a small piece of genetic information (DNA or RNA) inside a protective coating (capsid). You can think of it like an envelope carrying instructions. Our cells, on the other hand, are like an entire factory: They contain instructions and all the equipment needed to carry them out. These instructions tells us how to build proteins and make more cells.

Unlike you and me, viruses don’t have cells, which means they don’t have all the “machinery” they need to make more of themselves. So, if they want to make copies of their instructions (replicate), they have to break into our cells and use our machinery to do it. Viruses replicating is what makes you sick with a viral infection.

How do you tell if a disease is viral or bacterial?

Viruses and bacteria can cause similar symptoms, like fever, cough and rashes. The only way to know what kind of infection you have is to have a healthcare provider assess you. If you have symptoms that last more than a few days or that concern you, see your provider.

What are the types of viral infections?

You might hear viruses described by what part of your body they infect, how they spread or what symptoms they cause. Some viruses, like herpes viruses and adenoviruses, can cause many different types of illness. Types of viral infections include:

• Respiratory infections.
• Digestive system infections.
• Viral hemorrhagic fevers.
• Sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
• Exanthematous (rash-causing) infections.
• Neurological infections.
• Congenital infections.

Respiratory infections

Respiratory infections affect your nose, throat, airways and lungs. Many respiratory viruses can cause bronchitis, sinusitis, ear infections or pneumonia. Examples include:

• Common cold (usually caused by rhinovirus).
• The flu (influenza).
• COVID-19.
• Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
• Human metapneumovirus (hMPV).
• Parainfluenza.

Viral infections in your digestive system

Viral infections in your digestive system can affect your stomach and intestines (GI tract) or your liver. These include:

• Norovirus, rotavirus and astrovirus can cause gastroenteritis, sometimes called “stomach flu.”
• Hepatitis viruses cause liver disease. These infections often last a long time (chronic).

Viral hemorrhagic fevers

Hemorrhagic fevers affect how your blood clots and can weaken your blood vessels, causing potentially life-threatening bleeding. Examples include:

• Ebola.
• Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
• Severe dengue.
• Yellow fever.

Sexually transmitted viruses

Sexually transmitted diseases are mainly spread by sexual contact, including oral, anal and vaginal sex. Examples include:

• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
• Human papilloma virus (HPV)/genital warts.
• Genital herpes (HSV).
• Hepatitis B.

Exanthematous viral infections

Exanthematous viral infections cause rashes that can appear as bumps or blisters on your skin or spots of blood under your skin. They can also cause respiratory or other symptoms. Examples of exanthematous infections include:

• Chickenpox.
• Measles.
• Rubella (German measles).
• Roseola.
• Fifth disease.
• Mpox.

Neurological infections

Some viruses attack the cells of your nervous system (your brain and spinal cord). These can cause paralysis, swelling of your brain or its covering (encephalitis or meningitis) and other life-threatening conditions. Examples include:

• West Nile virus.
• Polio.
• Rabies.

Congenital viral infections

Congenital viral infections are those you’re born with. They pass from a pregnant person to the fetus while it’s developing or during birth. Depending on the virus, this can cause various health issues, including vision or hearing loss, developmental delays and neurological conditions. Viruses known to cause congenital infections include:

• Cytomegalovirus (CMV).
• Rubella.
• Zika virus.

Who do viral infections affect?

All of us will get viral infections at some point. But you’re at increased risk of serious illness from certain types of viruses if you:

• Are under 5 or over 65.
• Have certain health conditions, like diabetes, asthma, COPD or other chronic lung disease.
• Have a weakened immune system (from HIV/AIDS, cancer or immunosuppressive medications).
• Are pregnant.

What are the symptoms of a viral infection?

Symptoms of a viral infection depend on where you’re infected, but some common ones include:

• Flu-like symptoms: fever, head and body aches, fatigue.
• Upper respiratory symptoms: sore throat, cough, sneezing.
• Digestive symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea.
• Skin conditions: rashes, sores, blisters, warts.

Many viral infections don’t cause any symptoms.

What causes viral infections?

Many different types of viruses can cause infections, though only a few infect humans. They can get into your body through your nose, mouth, eyes, anus or genitals, or through a break in your skin. Once there, they get inside of your cells and use them to make more copies of themselves.

How do you get a viral infection?

Common ways you can get viral infections include:

• From other people (through coughing, sneezing or close contact).
• From surfaces or objects that someone with a virus has touched (like countertops, doorknobs or phones).
• Through vaginal, oral or anal sex.
• From a bite from an infected animal, mosquito or tick.
• From eating contaminated food or swallowing contaminated water.

Are viral infections contagious?

Yes, nearly all viral infections are contagious (can spread from person to person). Viruses need to infect living things to reproduce, so human viruses survive by spreading between people.

How are viral infections diagnosed?

A healthcare provider can often diagnose you with a viral infection by listening to your symptoms and examining you. To diagnose a specific virus, your provider might swab your nose or throat or take a blood sample for testing.

If they think you have a viral infection causing serious inflammation in your lungs, brain or another internal organ, your provider might get X-rays, ultrasound, MRI or CT imaging. Imaging can’t diagnose a viral infection, but it can help your provider understand how it’s affecting your body.

Tests for viral infections

Your provider might send body fluid or tissue samples to a lab to look for signs of a viral infection (viral DNA/RNA, antibodies or antigens). Types of samples they might take include:

• Blood.
• Spit (saliva).
• Phlegm or mucus (sputum).
• Cells from your nose or nasopharynx (nasal/nasopharyngeal swab).
• Skin or other affected tissue.
• Fluid around your brain and spinal cord (CNS fluid).
• Pee (urine).
• Poop (stool).
• Cells from your cervix (Pap smear). Pap smears can find HPV, a virus that can cause cancer. The kind of HPV that can lead to cancer doesn’t usually have symptoms.

How are viral infections treated?

Specific medications are only available for a few viral infections. For viruses that can cause life-threatening or chronic illness, a provider may prescribe antiviral medications or treatment that prevents you from getting sick after being exposed to a virus.

For infections that rarely cause serious illness, like the common cold, you can usually treat the symptoms at home while you wait for them to go away on their own.

What medications are used to treat viruses?

Medications a healthcare provider might prescribe to treat viral infections include antiviral medications, convalescent plasma and post-exposure prophylaxis.

Antiviral medications

Antiviral medications stop viruses from making more copies of themselves (replicating). They can be used to manage chronic infections or shorten the length of some respiratory infections. They can only treat one type of virus — they don’t work on other viruses. Antivirals are available for the flu, COVID-19, hepatitis B and C, HIV and mpox.

Convalescent plasma

In some cases, providers can treat someone with a life-threatening viral infection with a blood transfusion. For convalescent plasma treatment, someone who has recovered from an infection with the same virus donates their blood. Your provider gives you the plasma from the blood through an IV. The plasma contains antibodies, which help you fight the infection. Providers have treated some cases of COVID-19 and Ebola with convalescent plasma.

Post-exposure prophylaxis

Treatments for certain life-threatening viral infections can prevent you from getting sick after being exposed. A provider has to give you these treatments before you have symptoms. These include antiviral medications and immunoglobulin (antibody) treatment. Post-exposure prophylaxis is available for:

• HIV.
• Rabies.
• Hepatitis B.
• Chickenpox.

Do antibiotics work on a viral infection?

No, antibiotics can’t treat or cure illnesses caused by a virus. You provider will only give you antibiotics if they think you have a bacterial infection.

How do I manage my symptoms?

If you have a mild respiratory or GI tract infection without complications, you can often manage the symptoms at home. Using over-the-counter (OTC) medications, drinking plenty of fluids and getting enough rest can help get you through until you’ve fought off the virus. It’s always a good idea to ask a healthcare provider what medications are OK to take.

How can I prevent viral infections?

One of the best ways to reduce your risk of a viral illness is to get vaccinated. A healthcare provider can tell you which vaccinations are recommended for you. Vaccinations are available for:

• Chickenpox.
• COVID-19.
• Hepatitis A.
• Hepatitis B.
• Human papillomavirus (HPV).
• Flu (influenza).
• Measles, mumps and rubella.
• Polio.
• Rotavirus.
• Rabies.
• Shingles.

Other ways to protect yourself and others from viruses include:

• Wash your hands frequently, especially during cold and flu season.
• Practice safe food habits. This includes storing food properly, heating meat and poultry to a safe temperature, and washing or peeling fruits and vegetables before eating.
• Use a condom or dental dam during any kind of sex.
• Protect yourself from bug bites. Wear protective clothing, use bug spray and sleep under mosquito netting if necessary.
• Don’t handle wild or aggressive animals. Don’t leave your pets outside unsupervised, where they could potentially get bitten by an animal with rabies.
• Avoid being around other people if you’re sick.
• Get post-exposure prophylaxis. If you’ve been exposed to certain viruses, post-exposure prophylaxis can prevent you from getting a life-threatening illness. Talk to a provider right away if you think you’ve been exposed to rabies, HIV, hepatitis B or chickenpox.

What can I expect if I have a viral infection?

What to expect depends on what kind of viral infection you have. You can usually manage less serious infections, like the common cold or skin infections, at home. Other viral infections can cause life-threatening or long-lasting illness.

How long do viral infections last?

Viral infections can vary a lot in how long they last, for instance:

• Respiratory infections can last a few days to two weeks.
• A wart on your skin can last for a year or longer.
• Hepatitis B and C can cause chronic infections that last for years.
• HIV infections aren’t curable and are lifelong.

Complications of viral infections

Viral infections can cause serious complications, both shortly after getting sick or years later. Complications include:

• Inflammation in your lungs (pneumonia). Respiratory illnesses can infect your lungs and cause swelling that can make it hard to breathe. You may have to be treated in the hospital for severe pneumonia.
• Inflammation in your brain or its lining (encephalitis or meningitis). If a virus moves to your brain from another part of your body, it can cause swelling. This can be life-threatening.
• Severe bleeding. Hemorrhagic illnesses, like severe dengue, can cause life-threatening bleeding.
• Reactivation. Some viral infections can stay in your body for a long time, even if you no longer have symptoms — or you never had symptoms at all. A virus that’s not reproducing or causing symptoms in your body is called dormant. Viruses like Epstein-Barr (EBV), HPV, herpes simplex and varicella can reactivate in your body and cause symptoms years later.
• Cancer. Some viruses that stay in your body for long periods of time can cause cancer (oncoviruses). HPV, Epstein-Barr, HIV, hepatitis B and C, human T-lymphotropic virus 1 (HTLV-1) and human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) have all been linked to specific cancers.

When should I see my healthcare provider?

Contact a healthcare provider if:

• You have symptoms of a viral infection that aren’t getting better or are getting worse after several days.
• You have symptoms of the flu or COVID-19 and are at risk for serious illness. Your provider may be able to treat you with antiviral medications.
• You’ve been exposed to HIV, rabies, hepatitis B or chickenpox. You need post-exposure prophylaxis as soon as possible after exposure.

When should I go to the ER?

Go to the nearest ER or seek immediate medical attention if you have signs of a serious infection, including:

• High fever (103 degrees Fahrenheit/39.4 degrees Celsius).
• Difficulty breathing.
• Chest pain.
• Coughing up blood.
• Severe stomach (abdominal) pain.
• Confusion or other mental changes.

What questions should I ask my doctor?

• How do I prevent spreading this to other people?
• How do I use my medication?
• How long will it take to feel better?
• What can I do to manage my symptoms at home?
• When should I follow up with you?

A note from QBan Health Care Services

Viral infections are common and usually not serious. We manage colds, the occasional stomach bug, and bumps and sores on our skin on a regular basis. But some viruses cause life-threatening illnesses, and some common illnesses — like the flu — can turn serious. This is why it’s important to take steps to protect yourself and those around you from viral infection. Vaccinations, good hand-washing habits and safe sex can all help you stay healthy.

Fungal infections are any disease or condition you get from a fungus. They usually affect your skin, hair, nails or mucous membranes but they can also infect your lungs or other parts of your body. You’re at higher risk for fungal infections if you have a weakened immune system. Antifungal medications are usually used to treat fungal infections.

What are fungal infections?

Fungal infections, or mycosis, are diseases caused by a fungus (yeast or mold). Fungal infections are most common on your skin or nails, but fungi (plural of fungus) can also cause infections in your mouth, throat, lungs, urinary tract and many other parts of your body.

What are fungi?

Fungi are living things that are classified separately from plants or animals. They move around by spreading out or sending spores (reproductive parts) into the air or environment. Many fungi live naturally in our body (mouth, GI tract, skin) but can overgrow under certain circumstances.

Scientists estimate that there are millions of fungi in the world, but only a small number of them are known to cause disease in people. This includes certain yeasts and molds.

What does a fungal infection look like?

Fungal infections on or in your skin can look red, swollen or bumpy. They can look like a rash or you might be able to see a lump under your skin. Fungal infections in your nails can make them discolored (yellow, brown or white), thick or cracked. Fungal infections in your mouth or throat can cause a white coating or patches.

Who is most at risk for fungal infections?

Anyone can get a fungal infection, especially ones that affect your skin or nails. Fungal infections are more common in places on your body that trap moisture or have a lot of friction. You’re at higher risk for infection, especially severe ones, if you have poor circulation or diabetes, or if you have a weakened immune system from:

• HIV/AIDS.
• Cancer or cancer treatments.
• Immunosuppressant medications (for autoimmune conditions or organ, stem cell or bone marrow transplants).

Is a fungal infection serious?

The most common fungal infections, like those on your skin or nails, aren’t usually serious. If you have a weakened immune system, you’re at higher risk of serious illness from certain fungal infections.

What are the types of fungal infections?

Fungal infections can be on the surface of your skin, nails or mucous membranes (superficial or mucocutaneous), underneath your skin (subcutaneous) or inside other organs of your body — like your lungs, brain or heart (deep infection).

Superficial fungal Infections

Superficial fungal infections affect your nails, skin and mucous membranes (like your mouth, throat or vagina). Examples of superficial fungal infections include:

• Ringworm (dermatophytosis). A group of fungi that live off of skin, hair and nail cells (dermatophytes) cause ringworm. They can infect your feet (tinea pedis/athlete’s foot), your groin and inner thighs (tinea cruris/jock itch), your scalp (tinea capitis), your hands (tinea manuum), your facial hair and skin around it (tinea barbae) and other parts of your body (tinea corporis).
• Onychomycosis. Many types of fungi cause infections of your fingernails or toenails (onychomycosis). This can cause discolored and cracked nails.
• Candidiasis. Candida (usually Candida albicans) causes skin and mucous membrane (mucocutaneous) infections called candidiasis. These include oral thrush, some types of diaper rash, vaginal yeast infections (vulvovaginitis), esophageal candidiasis and candida intertrigo.
• Tinea versicolor/pityriasis versicolor. The fungus Malassezia causes skin discoloration called tinea versicolor or pityriasis versicolor.

Subcutaneous fungal infections

You can get a fungal infection under the surface of your skin (subcutaneous) if fungus gets into a cut or wound, usually through injury while working with plants (like a scratch from a thorn). They cause rashes, ulcers and other symptoms on your skin.

Subcutaneous fungal infections are more common in tropical and subtropical areas of the world. Examples include:

• Sporotrichosis (rose gardener’s disease). Sporothrix fungus causes sporotrichosis. You can also get sporotrichosis in your lungs or other parts of your body.
• Chromoblastomycosis. Many different fungi can cause chromoblastomycosis. It can cause a long-lasting (chronic) skin infections. Rarely, it spreads to other parts of your body.
• Eumycetoma. Many different fungi can cause eumycetoma. It most commonly affects your feet.

Deep fungal infections

Deep fungal infections are found in places in your body other than your skin, like your lungs, blood, urinary tract or brain. Some are opportunistic infections, meaning that they usually only cause disease in people with weakened immune systems.

Deep or invasive fungal infections include:

• Histoplasmosis. Histoplasma, the fungus that causes histoplasmosis, can infect your lungs, brain or other parts of your body. It’s commonly found in the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys.
• Coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever). Caused by the fungus Coccidioides, coccidioidomycosis can infect your lungs and, rarely, move to other parts of your body. It’s most common in California and Arizona.
• Blastomycosis. Blastomyces, the fungus that causes blastomycosis, commonly infects your bones, skin and lungs. Rarely, it can also infect your brain and spinal cord.
• Aspergillosis. Aspergillus, the mold that causes aspergillosis, can cause several types of lung infections, including allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) and chronic pulmonary aspergillosis. It can also infect other parts of your body or form a fungus ball (aspergilloma).
• Candidal urinary tract infection. Bacteria cause most urinary tract infections (UTIs), but some are caused by yeast such as Candida.
• Invasive candidiasis. Various Candida species cause invasive candidiasis. It can infect your heart, blood (candidemia), brain, eyes (endophthalmitis), bones or other parts of your body.
• Pneumocystis pneumonia (PJP). The fungus Pneumocystis jirovecii can infect your lungs and cause Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP).
• Mucormycosis. A group of molds called mucormycetes cause mucormycosis. Mucormycetes can infect your sinuses and brain (rhinocerebral mucormycosis), lungs (pulmonary mucormycosis), intestines (gastrointestinal mucormycosis), skin (cutaneous mucormycosis) or many parts of your body at the same time (disseminated mucormycosis).
• Cryptococcosis. Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii cause cryptococcosis. They usually infect your lungs, but sometimes can infect your brain and spinal cord (cryptococcal meningitis).

What are the symptoms of fungal infections?

Symptoms of fungal infections depend on what kind of fungal infection you have and where on your body it is. Symptoms are most common on your skin, nails or mucous membranes (like your mouth, throat or vagina). Sometimes you can have symptoms of an infection in your lungs, brain, eye, intestinal tract or sinuses.

Symptoms of superficial or subcutaneous infections

Symptoms of superficial or subcutaneous infections can include:

• Itching, soreness, redness or rash in the affected area.
• Discolored, thick or cracked nails.
• Pain while eating, loss of taste or white patches in mouth or throat.
• A painless lump under your skin.

Symptoms of fungal infections in your lungs

Symptoms of fungal infections in your lungs include:

• Cough, sometimes coughing up blood.
• Fatigue (tiredness).
• Fever.
• Shortness of breath.
• Muscle aches.
• Joint pain.
• Headache.
• Night sweats.

Other symptoms of fungal infections

Symptoms of fungal infections in other parts of your body include:

• Fungal infection in or around your brain: Headache, fever, neck pain, nausea/vomiting, sensitivity to light, confusion.
• Fungal infection of your eye: Pain, redness, discharge, blurred vision, tearing, sensitivity to light.
• Fungal infection of your intestinal tract: Abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting.
• Fungal infection of your sinuses: Fever, nasal congestion, headache, one-sided facial swelling, face pain.

What causes fungal infections?

Yeast, molds and other types of fungus cause fungal infections. Most fungi don’t cause disease in people, but a few do. Some infections are opportunistic, meaning they usually don’t cause infections, but can take advantage of certain situations, like a weakened immune system.

Some common fungi you can get infections from include:

• Dermatophytes. Dermatophytes are a group of fungi that live off of keratin, a substance in your hair, your nails and the outer layer of your skin. They don’t infect living tissue.
• Candida. Candida albicans is a yeast that naturally lives on your body, usually without causing problems. Under certain conditions, it can grow too much and cause itching and redness. Rarely, it can cause serious infections.
• Environmental fungi that live in soil or water. Examples include Histoplasma, Coccidioides, Blastomyces and Aspergillus.

How do they spread?

Common ways to get fungal infections include:

• From damp public spaces, like showers and locker rooms.
• Through a break in your skin or an injury.
• From breathing fungus in from the environment (like soil or dust).
• From taking antibiotics, which can allow some fungi that are naturally found on your body to grow out of control.
• You can get some dermatophyte infections from direct contact with an infected person or animal.

Are fungal infections contagious?

Some superficial fungal diseases, like ringworm, can spread from person to person through direct contact. Studies suggest that Pneumocystis jirovecii infections can also spread from one person to another. Other deep infections, like fungus that you breathe into your lungs from the environment, aren’t usually contagious.

How is a fungal infection diagnosed?

How your healthcare provider diagnoses fungal disease depends on where it is on your body. They may look for signs of fungus in — or try to grow (culture) fungus from — samples of your:

• Skin or other affected tissue.
• Nails (nail clipping).
• Blood.
• Phlegm (sputum).
• Fluid around your brain and spinal cord (CNS fluid).
• Pee (urine).
• Fluid from your eye (secretions).
• Vaginal discharge.

If they think you have a fungal infection in your lungs, brain or other internal organ, they might get X-rays, MRI or CT imaging to look for signs of infection.

How do you cure fungal infections?

Many fungal infections can be cured with antifungal medication, which kills fungus in and on your body. What form of medication your healthcare provider prescribes depends on where the fungus is.

Some treatments may be available without a prescription (over-the-counter, or OTC), but it’s a good idea to check with your provider before treating a fungal infection.

What medications are used to treat them?

To treat a fungal disease, your provider may prescribe antifungal treatment in the form of:

• Oral medication (pills).
• IV medication, given to you at a doctor’s office or hospital directly into a vein.
• Lotion, cream or powder.
• Mouthwash or lozenges.
• Eye drops.
• Shampoo.

How can I reduce my risk of a fungal infection?

Ways to reduce your risk of various fungal infections include practicing good personal hygiene and protecting yourself from fungi that are found in the environment. Tips for avoiding fungal infections include:

• Shower after getting dirty or sweaty. Don’t let areas of your skin stay damp.
• Don’t walk barefoot in public bathrooms, showers or locker rooms.
• Wear clean, dry, cotton underwear.
• Take care of your teeth and mouth.
• Clean and use contact lenses as directed by your eye care provider.
• Keep your nails short and clean.
• Only take antibiotics as prescribed. If you take antibiotics for too long, yeast can overgrow in your body and cause an infection.
• Don’t share sporting equipment, towels or other personal items with other people.
• Wear protective clothing, like gloves, boots, long pants and long-sleeved shirts when working with soil. Wear an N95 mask to avoid breathing in harmful fungus if you live in an area where it’s commonly found.
• If you live in an area with harmful fungus in the soil, wear a mask or stay indoors with the windows closed during dust storms.

What can I expect if I have a fungal disease?

What to expect when you have a fungal infection depends on whether you have underlying conditions and where the infection is on your body. Fungal infections of your hair, skin and nails are usually not serious, but can take a while to completely go away with treatment. Deep fungal infections, like those in your lungs or other organs, can be life-threatening, especially if you’re living with a weakened immune system.

When should I see my healthcare provider?

If you have symptoms of a fungal infection, especially in your lungs or other internal organs, contact your healthcare provider. Make sure to follow up with them if you’ve been treating a fungal infection and it’s not getting better.

What questions should I ask my doctor?

• What caused this infection and how can I avoid it in the future?
• How do I prevent spreading the infection to other people?
• When should I follow up with you?
• How do I use this medication?
• How long will it take to feel better?

A note from QBan Health Care Services

Fungi is around us all the time — in fact, some types of fungus live naturally on our bodies without us even thinking about it. So it’s not surprising that most of us will get a fungal infection at some point in our lives. Most can be resolved with treatment. If you have a weakened immune system or are at risk for severe or long-lasting infections, talk to your healthcare provider about how you can protect yourself.

Bacterial infections are diseases that can affect your skin, lungs, brain, blood and other parts of your body. You get them from single-celled organisms multiplying or releasing toxins in your body. Common bacterial diseases include UTIs, food poisoning, STIs and some skin, sinus and ear infections. They’re often treated with antibiotics.

What is a bacterial infection?

Bacterial infections are any illness or condition caused by bacterial growth or poisons (toxins). You can get sick from getting harmful bacteria in your skin, gut (GI tract), lungs, heart, brain, blood or anywhere else in your body.

Harmful bacteria from the environment, an infected person or animal, a bug bite or something contaminated (like food, water or surfaces) can cause infections. Bacteria that’s not normally harmful but that gets into a place in your body where it shouldn’t be can also cause infections.

What is bacteria?

Bacteria are living things with only a single cell that can reproduce quickly. There are millions of bacteria that live all around us — in soil or water and on surfaces in our homes and workplaces. There are even millions of bacteria that live on your skin and inside of your body.

Most bacteria aren’t harmful, and many are even helpful. They can help you digest food and kill off other harmful forms of bacteria that try to invade your body. But even the helpful ones can hurt you if they grow where they’re not supposed to.

What’s the difference between a bacterial infection and viral infection?

Living, single-celled organisms that can reproduce on their own cause bacterial infections. Only a few types of bacteria cause illness in people.

An organism that’s not made up of cells causes viral infections. Viruses always need to infect humans or other living things to create more copies of itself.

Antibiotics can treat most bacterial infections, but only a few viral infections have medications that treat them.

What are the types of bacterial infections?

Bacteria can cause many types of infections, depending on how you’re exposed and what part of your body it infects. Some common types of bacterial infections include:

• Food poisoning (gastroenteritis).
• Some skin, ear or sinus infections.
• Some sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
• Bacterial pneumonia.
• Most urinary tract infections (UTIs).

What are some examples of bacterial infections?

Common bacterial infections include:

• Campylobacter and Salmonella infections, common types of food poisoning.
• Cellulitis, boils and impetigo, skin infections.
• Pneumococcal disease, including ear and sinus infections and some types of pneumonia.
• Lyme disease, a disease spread by ticks.
• Bacterial vaginosis, an overgrowth of bacteria in your vagina.
• Chlamydia and gonorrhea, sexually transmitted infections.
• Strep throat, a bacterial infection common in children that causes a sore throat.
• C. diff, an infection in your intestines.
• E. coli, a common cause of urinary tract infection (UTI)

Is a bacterial infection serious?

There are many bacterial infections that aren’t usually serious or can be treated easily with antibiotics. Impetigo and boils are examples. However, any bacterial infection that gets deep into your body, like in your blood, heart, lungs or brain, can be life-threatening.

How do bacterial infections spread?

Bacterial infections can spread through droplets or dust in the air, direct or indirect contact, a vector (like a tick or mosquito) or contaminated food or water (vehicular).

Airborne or droplet

You can get bacterial infections through the air from contaminated dust or droplets of water or mucus (like phlegm or snot). Legionnaires’ disease, pertussis (whooping cough), tuberculosis, meningococcal disease and strep throat spread this way.

Contact

You can get bacterial infections from direct contact with infected skin or mucous membranes, or from indirect contact with contaminated surfaces. Bacterial diseases you get by contact include skin infections and some sexually transmitted infections (STIs) like gonorrhea and chlamydia.

Vector

Infections you get from bugs (like mosquitos, ticks or fleas) are called vector-borne. You can get Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Lyme disease and shigellosis through vectors.

Vehicular

While it sounds like something you get from your car, “vehicular” usually means you get sick from water or food (the “vehicle” of transmission). You can get gut (gastrointestinal) infections from E. coli, Campylobacter and Salmonella bacteria in contaminated food or water.

Who do bacterial diseases affect?

Anyone can get a bacterial disease, and most of us will at some point in our lives. You’re at higher risk for getting an infection if you have:

• Diabetes.
• A weakened immune system (due to HIV/AIDS, cancer, cancer treatments or immunosuppressive medications).
• An open wound.
• Had surgery recently.

How does a bacterial infection affect my body?

Bacteria can hurt your body either when they reproduce or by releasing poisons (toxins) that damage your cells. Infections that only affect the surface of your skin or mucous membranes (like your throat or intestines) aren’t usually serious, but sometimes, bacteria can spread in your body and cause life-threatening illnesses. If bacteria gets into your blood, it can cause sepsis, a reaction to the infection that causes organ damage, which is sometimes fatal.

What are common symptoms of a bacterial infection?

Symptoms of bacterial infections vary depending on where in your body is infected. The main symptom is often fever, except skin infections, which usually cause redness or pain on your skin. Common symptoms of bacterial infections include:

• Fever.
• Chills.
• Fatigue (tiredness).
• Headache.

Additional symptoms can include:

• Skin: Redness, blisters, ulcers, swollen or painful skin.
• GI tract: Diarrhea, stomach pain, nausea and vomiting.
• Lungs: Cough, shortness of breath, chest pain and phlegm (sputum).
• Lining around your brain (meningitis): Neck stiffness, nausea or vomiting, sensitivity to light and confusion.
• In your bloodstream and spreading (septicemia): High fever, weakness, sweating and low blood pressure.
• Heart (endocarditis): High fever, chest pain, night sweats, shortness of breath, cough, muscle and joint pain.
• Urinary tract or genitals: Burning or pain when you pee, discharge from your penis or vagina, increased need to pee and painful intercourse.

What causes bacterial diseases?

Many kinds of bacteria cause infections. You usually get bacterial infections when bacteria get into your body through your mouth, your nose, your eyes or a cut in your skin. Sometimes, bacteria that normally live on your skin or in your body get into places they’re not supposed to (like through an injury) and reproduce.

How do you get a bacterial infection?

Common ways you can get bacterial infections include:

• Eating or drinking contaminated food or water.
• Eating or drinking unpasteurized dairy products.
• Antibiotic use, which can kill the good bacteria that usually fight off bad bacteria.
• From contaminated surfaces.
• From other people (through coughing or close contact).
• From getting contaminated water into your lungs (aspirating).
• Through oral, anal or vaginal sex.
• Through contaminated dirt (soil).
• From a bite from an infected tick, mosquito or flea.
• From a surgery or intubation (tube in your throat).

Are bacterial infections contagious?

Yes, many bacterial infections are contagious from person to person, including pertussis, tuberculosis, strep throat, meningococcal disease, bacterial STIs and MRSA. Infections you get from food, mosquitos or ticks are usually not contagious.

How are bacterial infections diagnosed?

A healthcare provider diagnoses a bacterial infection by listening to your symptoms, doing an examination (listening to your heart and lungs, feeling your abdomen, looking at your skin) and taking samples to test for bacteria.

If they think you have bacteria in your lungs, brain or other internal organ, they might get X-rays, ultrasound, MRI or CT imaging to look for signs of infection.

Tests for bacterial infections

Your provider might send body fluid or tissue samples to a lab to look for signs of an infection (antibodies or antigens). A lab technician might also try to grow bacteria from your samples. Types of samples they might take include:

• Skin or other affected tissue.
• Blood.
• Phlegm (sputum).
• Fluid around your brain and spinal cord (CNS fluid).
• Pee (urine).
• Fluid from your eye (secretions).
• Poop (stool).

How are bacterial infections treated?

Not all bacterial infections need to be treated — some go away on their own. When you do need treatment, healthcare providers use antibiotics. Depending on where your infection is and how serious it is, antibiotics can be prescribed as:

• Oral medication (pills).
• IV medication, given to you at a doctor’s office or hospital directly into a vein.
• Ointment or cream.
• Eye drops.

Complications/side effects of the treatment

Sometimes, certain antibiotics stop working and don’t kill or slow down bacteria (antibiotic resistance). Because of this, doctors and nurse practitioners are careful about when and how they prescribe antibiotics. They only prescribe them if they think they’ll help you. It’s important for you to take any medication as prescribed for the full course, even if you start to feel better.

How can I prevent bacterial infections?

Ways to reduce your risk of various types of bacterial infections include:

• Get vaccinated. There are vaccines for many bacterial diseases, including tetanus, whooping cough, diphtheria and bacteria that cause certain forms of meningitis (Neisseria meningitides), pneumonia (Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae type b) and bloodstream infections.
• Practice good hygiene. This includes maintaining good hand-washing habits, wearing clean and dry clothes and not sharing personal items with other people.
• Keep wounds clean. Breaks in your skin allow bacteria to get in. Clean and cover cuts or wounds in your skin.
• Practice safe food habits. This includes storing food properly, heating meat and poultry to a temperature that kills bacteria and washing or peeling fruits and vegetables before eating.
• Use a condom or dental dam during any kind of sex.
• Protect yourself from bug bites. Wear protective clothing, use bug spray and check yourself and your pets for ticks after being outdoors.

What can I expect if I have a bacterial infection?

What to expect depends on what kind of bacterial infection you have. Less serious bacterial infections are treatable with medication at home. Others require a hospital stay and can cause lasting damage. Bacterial infections in your internal organs or blood can be life-threatening.

Complications of bacterial infections

Bacterial infections inside of your body can cause serious complications. The most serious complication is sepsis, a life-threatening reaction to an infection that causes organ damage. Sepsis can be fatal.

How long do bacterial infections last?

If you’re prescribed antibiotics for a bacterial infection, you’ll usually have to take them for a week or two, though you’ll probably feel better sooner. Take all of your medication as prescribed, otherwise, you might not get rid of all of the bacteria.

What is the cure for bacterial infections?

Antibiotics usually cure bacterial infections. They sometimes go away on their own or can be treated without antibiotics, but it’s always best to check with a healthcare provider for the best way to treat them.

When should I see my healthcare provider?

Contact a healthcare provider if you have symptoms of a bacterial infection, especially if you’ve had them for more than a couple of days. Make sure to follow up with your provider if you’ve been treating an infection and your symptoms aren’t getting better or are getting worse.

When should I go to the ER?

Go to the nearest ER or seek immediate medical attention if you have signs of a serious infection, including:

• High fever (103 degrees Fahrenheit or 39.4 degrees Celsius).
• Confusion or other mental changes.
• Neck stiffness with other symptoms of meningitis (headache, nausea, vomiting).
• Low blood pressure.

What questions should I ask my doctor?

• What caused this and how can I avoid it in the future?
• How do I prevent spreading this to other people?
• How do I use my medication?
• How long will it take to feel better?
• When should I follow up with you?
• What can I do to help my symptoms at home?

A note from QBan Health Care Services

Bacteria live all around us — millions even live on or in us. They help us digest nutrients, protect us from harmful invaders and even help in making delicious foods. But, like puppies in a shoe factory, they can cause a lot of damage if they’re somewhere they’re not supposed to be. Bacterial infections can be a temporary nuisance, but they can also turn into a life-threatening situation. Always check with a healthcare provider to make sure you know the best way to manage a bacterial disease.

Infectious diseases are illnesses caused by harmful agents (pathogens) that get into your body. The most common causes are viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites. Infectious diseases usually spread from person to person, through contaminated food or water and through bug bites. Some infectious diseases are minor and some are very serious.

What are infectious diseases?

Infectious diseases are illnesses caused by harmful organisms (pathogens) that get into your body from the outside. Pathogens that cause infectious diseases are viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites and, rarely, prions. You can get infectious diseases from other people, bug bites and contaminated food, water or soil.

What’s the difference between infectious diseases and noninfectious diseases?

Infectious diseases are caused by harmful organisms that get into your body from the outside, like viruses and bacteria. Noninfectious diseases aren’t caused by outside organisms, but by genetics, anatomical differences, getting older and the environment you live in. You can’t get noninfectious diseases from other people, by getting a bug bite or from your food.

The flu, measles, HIV, strep throat, COVID-19 and salmonella are all examples of infectious diseases. Cancer, diabetes, congestive heart failure and Alzheimer’s disease are all examples of noninfectious diseases.

What are the types of infectious diseases?

Infectious diseases can be viral, bacterial, parasitic or fungal infections. There’s also a rare group of infectious diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs).

• Viral infections. Viruses are a piece of information (DNA or RNA) inside of a protective shell (capsid). Viruses are much smaller than your cells and have no way to reproduce on their own. They get inside your cells and use your cells’ machinery to make copies of themselves.
• Bacterial infections. Bacteria are single-celled organisms with their instructions written on a small piece of DNA. Bacteria are all around us, including inside of our body and on our skin. Many bacteria are harmless or even helpful, but certain bacteria release toxins that can make you sick.
• Fungal infections. Like bacteria, there are many different fungi. They live on and in your body. When your fungi get overgrown or when harmful fungi get into your body through your mouth, your nose or a cut in your skin, you can get sick.
• Parasitic infections. Parasites use the bodies of other organisms to live and reproduce. Parasites include worms (helminths) and some single-celled organisms (protozoa).
• Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs/prion diseases). TSEs are caused by prions — faulty proteins that cause other proteins in your body, usually in your brain, to become faulty as well. Your body is unable to use these proteins or get rid of them, so they build up and make you sick. Prions are an extremely rare cause of infectious diseases.

What are common infectious diseases?

Infectious diseases are extremely common worldwide, but some are more common than others. For instance, each year in the United States, 1 out of every 5 people is infected with the influenza virus, but less than 300 people are diagnosed with prion diseases.

Some of the most common infectious diseases are listed here by type.

Common infectious diseases caused by viruses:

• Common cold.
• The flu (influenza).
• COVID-19.
• Stomach flu (gastroenteritis).
• Hepatitis.
• Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

Common infectious diseases caused by bacteria:

• Strep throat.
• Salmonella.
• Tuberculosis.
• Whooping cough (pertussis).
• Chlamydia, gonorrhea and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
• Urinary tract infections (UTIs).
• E. coli.
• Clostridioides difficile (C. diff).

Common infectious diseases caused by fungi:

• Ringworm (like athlete’s foot).
• Fungal nail infections.
• Vaginal candidiasis (vaginal yeast infection).
• Thrush.

Common infectious diseases caused by parasites:

• Giardiasis.
• Toxoplasmosis.
• Hookworms.
• Pinworms.

Who is most at risk for getting infectious diseases?

Anyone can get an infectious disease. You may be at an increased risk if your immune system is weakened or if you travel to areas with certain highly transmissible diseases.

People at higher risk of infectious disease include:

• Those with suppressed or compromised immune systems, such as those receiving cancer treatments, living with HIV or on certain medicines.
• Young children, pregnant people and adults over 60.
• Those who are unvaccinated against common infectious diseases.
• Healthcare workers.
• People traveling to areas where they may be exposed to mosquitoes that carry pathogens such as malaria, dengue virus and Zika viruses.

What complications are associated with infectious diseases?

Many infectious diseases resolve without complications, but some can cause lasting damage.

Serious and life-threatening complications of various infectious diseases include:

• Dehydration: Fever, vomiting, diarrhea.
• Pneumonia: Respiratory illness (viral or bacterial).
• Sepsis: Bacterial infections.
• Meningitis (swelling of the brain): Multiple causes, including bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic infections.
• AIDS: HIV.
• Liver cancer: Hepatitis B, hepatitis C.
• Cervical cancer: Human papillomavirus (HPV).

What are the symptoms of infectious diseases?

Symptoms of infectious diseases depend on the type of illness. Fungal infections usually cause localized symptoms, like rash and itching. Viral and bacterial infections can have symptoms in many areas of your body, like:

• Fever.
• Chills.
• Congestion.
• Cough.
• Fatigue.
• Muscle aches and headache.
• Gastrointestinal symptoms (diarrhea, nausea, vomiting).

It’s important to see a doctor if you have any chronic (ongoing) symptoms or symptoms that get worse over time.

What causes infectious diseases?

Infectious diseases are caused by a variety of agents that invade your body from the outside. These include:

• Viruses.
• Bacteria.
• Fungi.
• Parasites.
• Prions.

You may develop symptoms when your cells are damaged or destroyed by the invading organism and as your immune system responds to the infection.

How do infectious diseases spread?

Depending on the type of infection, there are many ways that infectious diseases can spread. Fortunately, in most cases, there are simple ways to prevent infection.

Your mouth, your nose and cuts in your skin are common places for pathogens to enter your body. Diseases can spread:

• From person to person when you cough or sneeze. In some cases, droplets from coughing or sneezing can linger in the air.
• From close contact with another person, like kissing or oral, anal or vaginal sex.
• By sharing utensils or cups with other people.
• On surfaces like doorknobs, phones and countertops.
• Through contact with poop from a person or animal with an infectious disease.
• Through bug (mosquito or tick) or animal bites.
• From contaminated or improperly prepared food or water.
• From working with contaminated soil or sand (like gardening).
• From a pregnant person to the fetus.
• From blood transfusions, organ/tissue transplants or other medical procedures.

How are infectious diseases diagnosed?

Your healthcare provider usually diagnoses infectious diseases using one or more lab tests. Your provider can look for signs of disease by:

• Swabbing your nose or throat.
• Getting blood, pee (urine), poop (stool) or spit (saliva) samples.
• Taking a biopsy or scraping a small sample of skin or other tissue.
• Getting imaging (X-rays, CT scans or MRIs) of affected parts of your body.

Some test results, like from a nose swab, come back quickly, but other results might take longer. For instance, sometimes bacteria has to be grown in a lab (cultured) from a sample before you can get your test result.

How are infectious diseases treated?

Treatment depends on what causes the infection. Sometimes your healthcare provider will recommend monitoring your symptoms rather than taking medication.

• Bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics. The right antibiotic depends on what bacteria causes the infection.
• You can manage most viral infections with over-the-counter medications for your symptoms until you feel better. If you have the flu, your healthcare provider may prescribe oseltamivir phosphate (Tamiflu®) in some cases. Certain viral infections have special medications to treat them, like antiretroviral therapy for HIV.
• Fungal infections can be treated with antifungal medications. You can take them orally, like fluconazole (Diflucan®) or put them on your skin just where the fungus is, like clotrimazole (Lotrimin®).
• Parasites can be treated with antiparasitic drugs, such as mebendazole (Emverm®).
• There are no treatments for prion diseases.

What is antibiotic resistance?

Antibiotic resistance is when bacteria develop mutations that make it harder for our medicines to destroy them. This happens when antibiotics are overused, such as for minor infections that your body could fight off on its own.

Antibiotic resistance makes some bacterial infections very difficult to treat and more likely to be life-threatening. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an example of a bacterial infection that has become antibiotic-resistant.

Healthcare providers are working to reduce antibiotic resistance. You can help — and protect yourself — by finishing all of your antibiotic medication as prescribed. This helps to make sure all of the bacteria are destroyed and can’t mutate.

Can infectious diseases be prevented?

There are many simple ways to reduce your risk of infectious disease and even prevent certain illnesses altogether. While each of these helps to reduce your risk of getting and spreading infectious diseases, often there’s no single way that’s 100% effective at preventing disease. That’s why it’s important to have many habits for reducing your risk.

You can think of it as lining up slices of Swiss cheese, a model suggested by James Reason, PhD. Where some slices have holes, other slices give protection. Getting recommended vaccinations, and simple habits like practicing safe food handling and washing your hands, work together to give you layers of protection.

Vaccines

Vaccines reduce your risk of getting an infectious disease by training your immune system to recognize and fight off infections from harmful invaders. While people sometimes do still get sick with a disease after getting vaccinated for it, your symptoms are usually less severe than they would’ve been without the vaccination.

Usually given as a shot or series of shots (or, less commonly, as a nasal spray), vaccines are available for many common infectious diseases, including:

• Chickenpox.
• COVID-19.
• Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough).
• Hepatitis A.
• Hepatitis B.
• Human papillomavirus (HPV).
• Influenza.
• Malaria.
• Measles, mumps and rubella.
• Polio.
• Rotavirus.
• Rabies.
• Shingles.
• Tuberculosis.

The CDC has up-to-date recommendations for vaccinations for children, adolescents and adults. If you’re traveling, make sure you have all of the recommended vaccinations for your destination before you go.

Safe food handling

Safe food handling habits help prevent certain infectious diseases.

• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before, during and after food preparation.
• Peel or thoroughly wash all fruits and vegetables.
• Freeze meats at 0^⁰F (-18^⁰C) until ready to thaw.
• Cook meats to a safe temperature before eating.
• Wash food preparation surfaces and utensils with soap and water after use.
• Don’t eat uncooked or undercooked seafood.
• Don’t drink untreated water.
• Don’t drink unpasteurized milk.

Other ways to help prevent infectious disease

In addition to vaccines and safe food handling habits, you can reduce your risk of coming down with or spreading an infectious disease with a few everyday practices.

• Wash your hands with soap and water. Thorough hand-washing is particularly important before preparing a meal or eating, after using the bathroom, after contact with poop (animal or human) and after gardening or working with dirt.
• Cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze or cough.
• Disinfect frequently touched surfaces in your home and workplace.
• Avoid contact with people who are sick with an infectious disease or sharing personal items with them.
• Avoid contact with others while you are sick with an infectious disease.
• Don’t drink from or swim in water that could be contaminated.
• Wear a mask around others when you are sick or as recommended by the CDC.
• Use a condom during any kind of sex.
• To reduce the risk of tick or mosquito bites, use bug repellent approved for ticks and mosquitos, cover as much exposed skin as you can with clothing and check for ticks after being in the woods or areas with long grass.

What are the outcomes after treatment for infectious diseases?

With treatment, most people get better after being sick with an infectious disease.

Sometimes there can still be serious complications, especially with respiratory illnesses. People with compromised immune systems are more at risk for serious complications, but they can happen in healthy people too.

Some diseases, like HIV and hepatitis B, can’t be cured, but medications can help prevent serious complications. Sexually transmitted infections can cause infertility or even lead to cancer, so it’s important to take steps to protect yourself and others.

Prion diseases are very serious and can’t be cured. They are fortunately some of the rarest infectious diseases.

When should I call my healthcare provider concerning an infectious disease?

Let your healthcare provider know if you have any symptoms of an infectious disease, especially if they’re unusual or don’t go away over time. If you have an ongoing infection, frequent follow-ups with your provider can help ensure your condition doesn’t worsen.

Your provider should also know if you plan to travel to foreign countries. You may need to be vaccinated against infections that are more common at your destination.

What are emerging infectious diseases?

Emerging infectious diseases are those that are new or are infecting more people than they had previously. Special research is dedicated to these diseases. Some emerging infectious disease agents include Ebola, salmonella, hepatitis A, certain coronaviruses and West Nile virus.

What are common pediatric infectious diseases?

Babies and children can be more likely to get sick from infectious diseases because their immune systems are still developing. They also can’t practice good hygiene on their own like adults can. Some infectious diseases that can be more common in children include:

• Chickenpox.
• Common cold.
• Fifth disease.
• Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD).
• Influenza.
• Measles.
• Pinworm.
• Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
• Ringworm.
• Roseola.
• Strep throat.
• Whooping cough (pertussis).

A note from QBan Health Care Services

We coexist with viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites every day. In fact, you have 10 times more bacteria inside your body than human cells — we couldn’t live without them!

Some of the organisms that we come across can be harmful. Fortunately, there are many simple things you can do to keep yourself healthy.

It’s also important to remember that there might be people around you who aren’t able to fight off infections easily. Washing your hands, covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze and other simple habits can help protect others from getting seriously ill. A small habit for you could be life-saving for someone else.

Rebound headaches, formally known as “medication overuse headaches,” happen when you treat headaches with medication too often, causing more headaches, which can be even worse. Fortunately, they’re treatable and preventable.

What are rebound headaches?

Rebound headaches are a headache disorder that can happen when you treat headaches with medication too often. They’re formally known as “medication overuse headaches,” but “rebound headaches” is the more commonly used term. They’re always a secondary condition to other headache disorders like cluster headaches. They’re especially common with migraines.

Rebound headaches get that name from the way they happen. When you have rebound headaches, you get temporary relief from medications for your headache, but when the medications wear off, the pain “rebounds” and often feels worse.

Rebound headaches are possible with all medications that treat migraines. That includes prescription medications and over-the-counter painkillers. However, certain prescription medications — especially those that contain controlled medications like opioids and barbiturates — are most likely to cause rebound headaches.

How common are rebound headaches?

Rebound headaches are uncommon but widespread. Experts estimate they affect around 1% of people worldwide, but some estimates go as low as 0.5% and as high as 2.6% of people worldwide. They’re much more likely to affect women and people assigned female at birth.

What are the symptoms of rebound headaches?

Rebound headaches are most likely to evolve from migraines or tension-type headaches. The symptoms of rebound headaches involve many features of the headaches you’re trying to treat, including:

• Pain.
• Nausea.
• Fatigue.
• Trouble concentrating.
• Memory problems.
• Depression, anxiety or panic.

These headaches also tend to happen in certain ways:

• You have them when you wake up or soon after waking up.
• They get better with medication but return after the medication wears off.
• The headaches can be more intense after the medication wears off.
• Medications of any kind are less effective when you have this condition.

What causes rebound headaches?

Rebound headaches happen when you treat headaches too frequently with medication. They’re possible with any headache medications but can develop more easily with some.

The medications that can cause rebound headaches are:

• Opioids and opioid-containing combination medications.
• Barbiturate-containing combination medications.
• Ergotamine and ergotamine-containing combination medications.
• Acetaminophen-aspirin-caffeine combination medications.
• Triptans.
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
• Acetaminophen (best known under the brand name Tylenol®).
• Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) antagonists.

To develop rebound headaches, you have to take these a minimum number of days per month. The number of days depends on the medication.

At least 10 days per month	At least 15 days per month
Opioids and opioid-containing combination drugs.	NSAIDs.
Barbiturate-containing medications.	Acetaminophen.
Triptans.	Any combination of the above two that does NOT include any of the medications from the left column.
Ergotamine and ergotamine-containing combination medications.
Acetaminophen-aspirin-caffeine combination medications.
Any combination of medications that includes at least one of the above.

Pain centralization

Experts suspect that rebound headaches happen because of changes in how your body handles pain signals. Chronic pain changes how your body handles pain signals, making it easier for those signals to happen or changing how you feel pain (it becomes more severe, or you feel pain from sensations that didn’t hurt previously).

Likewise, frequent pain medication use also changes how your body handles and processes pain signals. It can mean you need higher doses of pain medications because you develop a tolerance to medications, or your nervous system might generate or relay pain signals differently. More research is necessary before experts can confirm if either of these possibilities plays a role in rebound headaches.

What are the risk factors for rebound headaches?

Rebound headaches are more likely to happen to people who have or meet any of the following criteria:

• Assigned female at birth (possibly because migraines are also more likely to affect people assigned female at birth).
• Between ages 30 and 50.
• Metabolic syndrome.
• High caffeine intake (more than 200 milligrams per day).
• Mental health conditions, especially depression, anxiety, panic disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.
• Tobacco use.
• Lack of physical activity.
• Family history of rebound headaches or substance use disorder, including alcohol use.

What are the complications of this condition?

There are a few possible complications of rebound headaches:

• Developing chronic migraines.
• Dependence on medications, including controlled substances.
• Toxicity or overdose from overuse of medications.
• NSAID-related complications like upper digestive tract bleeding (such as stomach ulcers).
• More frequent or worsening rebound headache symptoms.

How are rebound headaches diagnosed?

A healthcare provider can diagnose rebound headaches using the International Classification of Headache Disorders criteria. Those criteria are:

• Headaches that happen at least 15 days per month related to a previously existing headache disorder.
• Regular use of medications to treat the headaches for at least three months.
• Another condition or diagnosis doesn’t better explain the headaches.

There aren’t any tests that can diagnose rebound headaches.

How are rebound headaches treated, and is there a cure?

Rebound headaches are very treatable. There isn’t a cure for them, but treatment can make them stop.

Treatment involves the following:

• Stopping the medication(s) contributing to the rebound headaches. This is the most important part of treating rebound headaches, and the stoppage has to be total for this to work. With some medications, especially opioids or barbiturates, your healthcare provider may slowly decrease your dose to prevent withdrawal. Your healthcare provider will guide you on safely stopping taking these medications.
• Alternate medications. Switching medications can help with the headache symptoms while you avoid taking the medication(s) that caused the rebound headaches. These are often called “bridge medications.” Bridge medications are medications that work differently from the one(s) that caused your rebound headaches. Onabotulinumtoxin A injections (commonly known as Botox®), long-acting NSAIDs (such as naproxen) or antiseizure medications like topiramate are some of the most likely alternate treatments.
• Nonmedication treatments. These help you adjust your body and mind to the changes in your treatment, especially if you have symptoms like anxiety or depression. These treatments can include psychotherapy, biofeedback, hypnotherapy and relaxation training. Mental health therapies, to reduce your stress levels in particular, can help you avoid the recurrence of rebound headaches in the near future.

Complications/side effects of treatment

One of the possible side effects of treatment is headache symptoms that worsen temporarily. You may be able to limit this side effect by carefully tapering off of your current medications. Using bridge medications or alternative medications to manage your headaches may also help.

If the medications you took were potentially habit-forming, like opioids or barbiturates, withdrawal is also a possibility. Your healthcare provider will likely reduce your medication doses gradually to help you avoid this.

How soon after treatment will I feel better?

The recovery time can vary depending on the medications you took, the dosages you were taking and other factors. Your healthcare provider is the best person to tell you about your likely recovery timeline and what you can do to help yourself along the way.

Can rebound headaches be prevented?

Yes, rebound headaches are very preventable. The key to preventing them is limiting how often you use medications of any kind to treat your headaches.

For some people, headaches — especially migraines (which account for 80% of rebound headache cases) — are unavoidable. As anyone who’s had a migraine can tell you, these are not just bad headaches. They range from extremely unpleasant to totally incapacitating. Without treatment to stop a migraine, some people will only get vague symptom relief by finding a dark, quiet room to hide in until the migraine passes.

Rebound headaches aren’t preferable, but neither are frequent migraines that disrupt your life. Fortunately, newer treatments (especially preventive treatments) open the door to preventing migraines or limiting how often they happen. These treatments can reduce the number of migraines you experience. You can also work with your provider to determine if you have migraine triggers and then avoid them.

That may make it possible for you to use “rescue” meds that stop migraines less frequently, which might be enough to prevent developing rebound headaches.

If you have questions about how you can prevent migraines or headaches, talk to your healthcare provider. They can offer a range of treatment options, including medications and other methods, which might help reduce migraine and headache frequency and severity.

IMPORTANT: You should always follow your healthcare provider’s guidance on medication dosage and how often to take them. This is an essential part of helping you avoid rebound headaches. Don’t take medications — even over-the-counter ones — more frequently than your provider recommends.

What can I expect if I have rebound headaches?

If you have rebound headaches, you can expect a continuing cycle of headaches that worsens as long as you keep taking the medication(s) contributing to the “rebound” effect. Stopping the medication(s) causing the rebound headaches is essential to reversing this condition.

How long do rebound headaches last?

Rebound headaches will continue to happen as long as you take the medications that cause or contribute to them. The headaches themselves can vary in length, and many factors can affect their duration. Your healthcare provider is the best person to tell you what you should expect from the headaches themselves.

How long will it take for rebound headaches to go away?

Most people will see their rebound headaches fade and stop within two months. For more severe cases, it may take up to six months. During that time, your healthcare provider will help you manage your symptoms to reduce how they affect you. They’ll also monitor your symptoms as needed to make sure your treatments are working as they should.

What’s the outlook for rebound headaches?

The outlook for rebound headaches is generally positive, especially if you recognize them and get treatment sooner rather than later.

Treatment is generally successful in helping people with this condition. But relapses and the return of the headaches are possible. If you notice them returning, it’s important to talk to your healthcare provider as soon as possible. Treating rebound headaches early can make treatment faster and easier.

Without treatment, or with delayed treatment, the outlook isn’t as favorable. Rebound headaches can have very negative effects on your quality of life. Recovery also gets more difficult the longer you continue using the medication that causes your rebound headaches. These factors are part of why early diagnosis and treatment are so important.

How do I take care of myself?

If you have rebound headaches, following your healthcare provider’s guidance on treating them is important. One key to that treatment is avoiding taking the medication(s) that contributed to the rebound headaches in the first place. Doing so will speed up how quickly the headaches go away.

When should I see my healthcare provider?

You should see your healthcare provider as recommended during your treatment for rebound headaches. You should also see your provider if you notice any changes in headache frequency or symptoms, or if the symptoms change in a way that affects your daily routine.

Rebound headaches aren’t dangerous on their own. Some of the medications that people take to treat them can be, though.

What does a rebound headache feel like?

Rebound headaches feel much like the headaches you have previously experienced. But they often feel worse in terms of symptom severity. You may experience additional symptoms like anxiety or depression, to name a couple.

Does caffeine make rebound headaches worse?

Yes, if you consume more than 200 milligrams of caffeine a day. Limiting caffeine intake can help improve your chances of success and limit the severity of rebound headaches.

A note from QBan Health Care Services

When you experience headaches or migraines that are severe, frequent or both, the thought of going without medications to treat them can seem too unpleasant to bear. But there are other ways to treat your migraines that can reduce your need for medications causing rebound headaches.

With the right treatment, you can not only put rebound headaches behind you, but also more effectively avoid the medications that led to the rebound headaches. That way, you can get on with your activities and live your life in a way you prefer, not one where headache symptoms limit you.

Sinus headaches are a symptom of sinus infections (sinusitis). A sinus headache may feel like a dull pain behind your eyes, in your cheekbones, forehead or bridge of your nose. Typically, sinus headaches go away once a sinus infection runs its course. But people should contact a healthcare provider if they have one that lasts more than a week.

What is a sinus headache?

A sinus headache is a symptom of sinus infections (sinusitis). Sinus headaches make your face hurt. You may feel a constant, dull ache behind the eyes or in your cheekbones, forehead and the bridge of your nose. The pain gets worse when you move your head suddenly or you bend over. Typically, sinus headaches go away once a sinus infection runs its course.

What causes sinus headaches?

If you have a sinus headache, a viral or bacterial infection in your sinuses may be to blame. Sinuses are a series of connected hollow spaces behind your cheekbones, forehead and nose. Air that comes in through your nose travels through your sinuses on its way to your lungs.

Your sinuses are lined with tissue. They also make mucus that keeps your nose moist and traps intruders like bacteria, viruses, fungi and dust-carrying allergens.

Normally, free-flowing mucus carries off intruders before they can make trouble in your sinuses. But sometimes your sinuses’ reaction to intruders starts a chain reaction that leads to sinus headaches.

First, your sinuses start making more mucus. Mucus building up in your sinuses creates a place where intruders like bacteria and viruses can settle and grow. Growing intruders make sinus tissue swell, trapping mucus so it can’t flow from your sinuses. The result is swollen, irritated, fluid-filled sinuses that make your face feel achy and tender.

What are sinus headache risk factors?

Sinus headaches stem from sinus infections. Understanding sinus infection risk factors may reduce your risk of sinus headaches. According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, those risk factors include:

• Having the common cold.
• Seasonal allergies.
• Smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke.
• Structural issues within your sinuses. For example, nasal polyps or a deviated septum may trap mucus in your sinuses.
• Having a weak immune system or taking drugs that weaken your immune system increases your risk of infections, including sinus infections.

How are sinus headaches diagnosed?

Your healthcare provider will perform a physical exam and ask about your symptoms. If your symptoms are severe or ongoing, you may also need imaging tests like X-rays or computed tomography (CT) scans.

Imaging tests show if your sinuses are blocked. If they aren’t, it may mean you have a different issue like a migraine or a tension headache. Migraine headaches and sinus headaches have common symptoms. Studies suggest 80% of people who thought they had sinus headaches had migraines.

What’s the treatment for sinus headaches?

Sinus headaches happen because you have a sinus infection. Healthcare providers may treat bacterial infections with antibiotics. Viral infections typically go away without treatment.

Your healthcare provider may also recommend other medications to ease discomfort, like:

• Antihistamines to prevent allergy symptoms.
• Decongestants to reduce swelling in your nose and sinuses.
• Pain relievers to ease headache pain.
• Steroids to reduce inflammation.

Is there a way to get rid of my sinus headache instantly?

Unfortunately, there’s no quick fix for sinus headaches. You need treatment for the underlying cause to get rid of a sinus headache. But there are things you can do to ease sinus pressure and pain:

• Apply a warm compress to painful areas of your face.
• Use a decongestant to reduce sinus swelling and allow mucus to drain.
• Try a saline nasal spray or drops to thin the mucus.
• Use a vaporizer or inhale steam from a pan of boiled water. Warm, moist air may help relieve sinus congestion.

Can sinus headaches be prevented?

Preventing sinus infections is the best way to prevent sinus headaches. For example, many people have seasonal allergies that make spring a season of stuffy noses (nasal congestion) that may turn into a viral sinus infection. If that’s your situation, talk to an allergist. They’ll have recommendations and treatments to prevent or ease allergies that cause nasal congestion. Here are other suggestions for heading off sinus headaches:

• Colds may lead to viral sinus infections. You can prevent colds by washing your hands or using hand sanitizers and staying away from people who have colds.
• Nasal polyps may block your sinuses and cause sinus headaches. Treatments include steroid sprays and pills, stents and surgery to remove polyps.
• A deviated septum may be why your sinuses are blocked. Septoplasty is surgery to repair your septum.

How long do sinus headaches last?

That depends on what caused you to have sinusitis. For example, viruses cause most sinus infections. When the viral infection clears up, the sinus headache goes away. That may take a week or so. Sinus issues that don’t go away may mean you have a bacterial or fungal sinus infection that requires treatment like an antibiotic or antifungal.

When should I see a healthcare provider?

Most sinus headaches go away when sinus infections clear. Talk to a healthcare provider if your sinus issues don’t go away within a week or so.

What questions should I ask a healthcare provider?

You may want to ask the following questions:

• Do I have a sinus headache or another kind of headache?
• If I have sinusitis, do I have a viral infection or a bacterial infection?
• What at-home treatments help sinus infections?

How do I know if my headache is sinus-related?

There are several kinds of headaches that may make your head hurt in different ways. For example, people often confuse migraine headaches and sinus headaches because they both cause pain that pinpoints certain parts of your aching head. The difference is where pain happens:

• Sinus headaches make your face hurt. The pain affects both sides of your head.
• Migraine headaches typically cause pain high in your forehead, around your temples or in the back of your head. The pain typically affects one side of your head.
• A sinus headache may feel like it’s lasting an eternity.

What’s the difference between sinusitis and a sinus headache?

The difference is that a sinus headache is just one symptom of sinusitis. If you have sinusitis, you may also have the following symptoms:

• Fever.
• Fatigue.
• Postnasal drip.
• Cough.

A note from QBan Health Care Services

Your head is throbbing. Your face hurts. And you don’t even want to think about moving your head or bending over. If this sounds familiar, you may have a sinus headache caused by a sinus infection. Most sinus infections and sinus headaches clear up within a week or 10 days. When they don’t, it’s time to contact a healthcare provider. You may have a bacterial or fungal sinus infection or a migraine. Either way, you’ll need special medication that treats infections or migraines. A healthcare provider will do tests to diagnose the issue. They’ll also recommend things you can do at home to ease your symptoms.