how do doctors know if you have a virus or bacteria?
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Diagnosis of Bacterial and Viral Infections But your doctor may be able to determine the cause by listening to your medical history and doing a physical exam. If necessary, he or she also can order a blood or urine test to help confirm a diagnosis, or a "culture test" of tissue to identify bacteria or viruses.
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Signs and symptoms of a bacterial infection may vary depending on the location of the infection and the type of bacteria that's causing it. However, some general symptoms of a bacterial infection include: fever. feeling tired or fatigued.
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Your doctor takes a blood sample and then sends it to a laboratory to measure the number of certain antibodies, which can indicate your immune system's sensitivity to different mold species. Skin prick test. Your doctor takes small amounts of mold and applies it to your skin using a tiny needle.
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Along with a physical exam, your doctor may take a sputum culture, chest X-ray, and blood work to determine if you have a viral or bacterial form of pneumonia, Turner says. Your diagnosis is important since it helps determine treatment. “If you have viral pneumonia, I wouldn't prescribe to you an antibiotic,” says Dr.
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Most sinus infections are viral, and most are caused by the virus that causes the common cold. How can you tell, based on symptoms, whether your infection is viral or bacterial? Normally, you can't. Symptoms like bad breath, yellow or green mucus, fever and headache are not reliable signs of a bacterial infection.
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Viruses are smaller than bacteria and can't survive without a living host. A virus attaches itself to cells and usually reprograms them to reproduce itself. Also, unlike bacteria, most viruses do cause disease. Some virus-caused diseases include the common cold, AIDS, herpes, and chickenpox.
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Is it a Bacterial Infection or Virus? Bacterial infections are caused by bacteria, while viral infections are caused by viruses. That's the easy part. Differentiating between the two requires medical intervention since both may cause fever and irritability.
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To confirm the diagnosis of a suspected UTI, your doctor may ask for a sample of your urine. It is tested to see if it has germs that cause bladder infections. But if your doctor thinks you have a UTI, he or she may have you start taking antibiotics right away without waiting for the results of your test.
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While both can cause disease, viruses are not living organisms, whereas bacteria are. Viruses are only "active" within host cells which they need to reproduce, while bacteria are single-celled organisms that produce their own energy and can reproduce on their own.
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A diagnosis of yeast infection begins with your gynecologist taking your medical history and asking about your symptoms. Your doctor can confirm a diagnosis by performing a pelvic exam. During the exam, a speculum is inserted in the vagina to allow the doctor to check for symptoms such as swelling or discharge.
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Answer From James M. Steckelberg, M.D. As you might think, bacterial infections are caused by bacteria, and viral infections are caused by viruses. Perhaps the most important distinction between bacteria and viruses is that antibiotic drugs usually kill bacteria, but they aren't effective against viruses.
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PCR test: The PCR test can tell if you have genital herpes even if you don't have symptoms. The PCR test looks for pieces of the virus's DNA in a sample taken from cells or fluids from a genital sore or the urinary tract. This is a commonly used test to diagnose genital herpes and is very accurate.
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If you have been sexually active, the doctor might also test you for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) like gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV. To test for STDs, the ob-gyn will take a swab of tissue during the pelvic exam and/or check blood tests.
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Knowing the difference can save you time and money during cold and flu season. The symptoms of a bacterial infection and a virus are often very similar—fever, muscle aches, cough, and sore throat—but they require different treatments.
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Blood tests can detect signs of the hepatitis B virus in your body and tell your doctor whether it's acute or chronic. A simple blood test can also determine if you're immune to the condition. Liver ultrasound. A special ultrasound called transient elastography can show the amount of liver damage.
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Understanding infection vs. Infection, often the first step, occurs when bacteria, viruses or other microbes that cause disease enter your body and begin to multiply. Disease occurs when the cells in your body are damaged — as a result of the infection — and signs and symptoms of an illness appear.
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Bacterial infections require antibiotics. If you have symptoms of tonsillitis, it's best to make an appointment with your doctor. A throat swab culture or antigen test is the only way to know if the infection is from the bacteria that causes strep throat. In very rare cases, tonsillitis can cause your tonsils to bleed.