How To Treat Viral Nasopharyngitis

Antiviral Medication

While it is widely known bacterial infections can be easily treated by antibiotics in most cases, there has been a stagnation in how to treat an actual viral infection. Viruses are different than bacteria and do not respond to antibiotics. Viruses also appear to have mutations from one season to the next, so creating a medication that can treat them, even if it is successful, doesn't usually last for very long. While there are no specific antiviral drugs known to be effective against viruses that cause the common cold and similar conditions, zinc has antiviral properties that have been shown to help kill some of the viruses responsible. There are numerous trials in research presently that are attempting to develop an effective antiviral drug to fight against rhinovirus, but none have yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Antiviral medications that currently treat the flu would be ineffective at treating viral nasopharyngitis because the flu is caused by a different virus. An antiviral medication to treat common cold is not viable as of today, however, there is a promising future in the works for it.