JACKSONVILLE, Fla – Strep throat is still going around in every local county. Here's what else doctors are treating.
In Duval County at the CareSpot on Southside Boulevard doctor's are treating upper respiratory infections, ear infections and a couple of cases of flu.
In Clay County at the CareSpot in Middleburg doctors are treating strep throat, sinus infections, common colds, and no cases of the flu in the last week.
The Nassau County CareSpot in Yulee is busy treating strep throat, sinus infections, and allergies.
Doctors at Healing Arts Urgent Care in St. Johns County they're treating sinus infections, strep throat, bronchitis, upper respiratory infections, pneumonia.
It's the season of colds but doctors suggest first skip the cold medicine and treat the source of the problem, inflammation.
Flu is not wide spread yet so likely what's causing your stuffy, running nose and sore throat is viral. You don't need an antibiotic but you likely need something to help with your symptoms. Doctors say you could skim the dozens of cold and cough medicines on the shelf or you could just grab something you likely have in the medicine cabinet. Dr. Ashley Norse with UF Health Emergency Medicine explains.
"It's a great medicine or just when you've got the run-of-the-mill kind of cold or what we call URI upper respiratory infection," says Norse.
Dr. Norse says an anti-inflammatory might just do the trick.
"It will be effective for the achy pains that you feel the fever, that the inflammation that you're going to get in the upper airways from the upper respiratory infection," says Norse.
Dr. Norse says it won't help with a cough but in the long run you should see results within 24-48 hours. So if you're not suffering too much she suggest you might want to save your money.
"It's not going to help with in the beginning with drainage but it will help clear up the drainage. So in time it will be effective but that's not going to help you if you're looking for something right away that's will dry up the sinuses and drainage the anti-inflammatory is not going to do that," says Norse.
It will help with inflammation in the airways and for kids 5 and younger it might be the only option that will eventually bring relief.
"We try to steer away from cough and cold medicines for kids and tell parents to use Tylenol and Motrin or ibuprofen. Give one and then four hours later you can get the other to alternate them, says Norse.
If you have a reason your doctor told you not to take an anti-inflammatory like Motrin or ibuprofen Dr. Norse says try Tylenol. If that doesn't work she says try an appropriate over-the-counter cold medicine. But if you're still suffering visit your doctor.