If a cold lasts a week, you should consult a physician. Antibiotics might not help you get better, but they can't hurt. Physicians involved in curbing the excessive and inappropriate use of antibiotics insist misinformation is the main culprit. Education for physicians, office staff and patients would go a long way in preventing antibiotic resistance, said family physician John Hickner, M.D., who serves on a CDC panel developing principles for the judicious use of antibiotics for respiratory infections in adults. According to him, green mucus isn't a good indicator that antibiotics are needed.
Research shows cold symptoms commonly last longer than a week.
And the misuse of antibiotics leads to strains of bacteria developing resistance to drugs. Misinformation, such as these commonly held beliefs, results in many patients prematurely visiting their physicians and expecting a prescription for antibiotics. Too frequently, the physicians comply, Hickner said. Nearly all people get better from bronchitis and sinusitis on their own without the use of antibiotics. But doctors are a little uncertain about that.