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Most people have many viral fever infections throughout their life, and they get better on their own. This is because our body’s immune system fights the viruses, but sometimes you may need to undergo viral fever treatment to recover. Symptoms like high fever, headaches, body aches, lethargy or fatigue, cold, and cough are commonly associated with a viral fever. You may not feel the need to contact the doctor for a viral fever until the symptoms become too severe and start affecting your everyday life. However, if you feel the symptoms are not improving or getting worse after some time, it is better to consult a doctor.
Doctors have found targeted medicines for certain viral fever infections, but they are limited. Here, you will find the treatment methods for curing viral fever.
Treatment for viral fever
Most viral infections go away on their own in some time, and only few medicines are available for some specific viral infections. If you consult a doctor, they will likely give you some over-the-counter (OTC) medicines to relieve the symptoms; they may prescribe antiviral medications or other treatment only in the case of a viral infection that is life-threatening or is chronic in nature.
Oftentimes, people affected with viral infections, such as the common cold, choose to rest and get better on their home; they may also take some OTC medicines to help with the symptoms.
The following medications may be recommended by a healthcare provider to treat your viral fever infection and prevent any complications.
- Antiviral medicines
Viruses replicate themselves when they enter our system and lead to the viral fever infection; antiviral medicines stop the replication from happening. Such medicines are used to manage chronic infections or cure viral fevers fast.
Some antiviral medicines may work on specific viruses and don’t work on other viruses. Certain antiviral medicines are available for curing these viral fevers—flu, Covid-19, hepatitis B and C, mpox, and HIV. - Convalescent plasma
Doctors may use the person’s blood who was cured from a particular viral fever and extract their blood plasma—convalescent plasma—to cure your viral fever. This approach provides you with passive immunity against the viral fever infection and helps you recover fast.
Convalescent plasma is one of the best treatments for viral fever, but it only works if the blood donor has recovered from the exact strain of viral infection that you have. - Post-exposure prophylaxis
Your doctor may start you on certain antiviral medicines and immunoglobulins if you have been exposed to a life-threatening virus. This is done to prevent you from getting sick after the exposure. This treatment is available for HIV, hepatitis B, chickenpox, and rabies.
Please note that taking antibiotics for viral fever symptoms and treatment does not do any good for you. Since antibiotics kill bacteria, it will not cure viral fever infection and may end up killing the good bacteria of your gut.
Treatment for Viral fever FAQs:
What is the fastest way to cure a viral fever?
If you have had exposure to a particular virus, you can consult your doctor and ask them about post-exposure prophylaxis treatment. This way you may be able to avoid getting sick altogether.
If you already have symptoms from the viral fever infection, it is better to rest, drink plenty of fluids, and eat a nutritious and light meal to recover quickly.
How long does it take for viral fever to cure?
It may vary from infection to infection, but usually 7–10 days is the time taken to cure viral fever at home. Your body can handle most viral infections on its own and cure viral fever fast.
What is the best treatment for viral infection?
Convalescent plasma is one of the best treatments available to cure viral fever as it aids the body in fighting the infection on its own. This viral fever treatment method is extremely helpful in viral infections that don’t have a dedicated antiviral medication yet.
Can a viral infection be treated using antibiotics?
No, you should not take antibiotics for viral fever symptoms and treatment until your doctor prescribes them to you for a secondary bacterial infection. Taking antibiotics unnecessarily for viral fever treatment can lead to complications.
