What's a viral infection?

hmm... too long to post but here is a

link

A virus is a small infectious organism—much smaller than a fungus or bacterium—that must invade a living cell to reproduce (replicate). The virus attaches to a cell, enters it, and releases its DNA or RNA inside the cell. The virus's DNA or RNA is the genetic code containing the information needed to replicate the virus. The viral genetic material takes control of the cell and forces it to replicate the virus. The infected cell usually dies because the virus keeps it from performing its normal functions. Before it dies, however, the cell releases new viruses, which go on to infect other cells

The common cold is an example of a viral infection.
An infection caused by a virus can't be treated by antibitotcs.

There are been recent developments in anti-viral medications though ( at least I think they are recent)

Chicken pox is caused by a virsu & that same virus can cause shingles. My father had that & was given anti-viral mediaction. I beleive it was the same medication that advertise on TV for herpes, so herpes is a virus too.

A viral infection is caused by a virus... It CANNOT ever be treated with antibiotics. Antibiotics are for bacterial infections. A bacteria is a living organism and a virus is not. An antibiotic will do absolutely nothing for a viral infection, it will just cause antibiotic resistance.
There are many viral infections, the common cold, chickenpox (shingles is a second outbreak of chickenpox), mononucleosis - just to name a few. HIV is also a virus.
Viruses are very good at being able to change and evade medications. that is why many viral infections are very difficult to treat.

What has been posted is true - if you have a viral infection then there isn't anything but sleep and rest that will cure it. But if you have bacterial infection you will need antibiotics to get better.

Unfortunately many people rush to get antibiotics when they are sick and if you have a virus they won't do anything - but taking the antibiotics can make your body resistant to the meds and harder to fight the next illness - so you become resistant to certain antibiotics if you take them too often.

You can btw end up with a bacterial infection after have a viral infection - not unusal for a cold to turn into a bacterial form of sinusitis, or bronchitis.

Also things like bronchitis or sinus infections can be viral OR bacterial. Which is why sometimes they take cultures to determine if you have a virus or bacterial infection.

Bacterial infections often piggyback viral infections, but shingles for example (i had it..not fun) is viral and an antibiotic will do absolutely nothing! They do have antivirals, especially for herpes viruses (which is what chicken pox/shingles is).

Viral infections s u c k.

Thanks for the info ladies (and gent.)