Going to Doctors with Virus

[Aquarius1234]

Why do some people rush to ring the GPs as soon as they feel like rubbish?
Ive been unwell for a week and Im guessing its the dodgy virus thats going round!
I very much doubt a GP would see me in person anyway.

On the whole i agree with you. But I think your post hit me hard as a colleague this week asked me the same thing. They don't know my medical history, they were wondering why i am 'overreacting' about myself and my kids. I look fit, healthy, in my 30s. However I take medication that reduces my immune system so have to keep a very close eye on things when I become ill because it can turn quite quickly. My kids both have health issues which result in a cold turning into something where they can end up off school for weeks or in hospital. Again, they look fit and healthy.

But yes, on the whole, most people can manage it at home on their own. We are now the 'quick fix' society so think a GP can resolve it... when they can't. Time, rest and self care is needed, nothing more.

Ok ive been on a medication like that previously but no longer take it.
But its more how people want antibiotics when they dont even know if they have a chest infection.
I have a mutley type growl cough/ breathing. But it comes and goes.

I went to the GP with a virus and ended up being sent straight to A&E where I was admitted because my heart rate was dangerously high. I had no idea at all and I’m very glad that I did go.

Completely agree. I went to a&e before Christmas and just started talking to a few people to pass the time. One had a suspected broken foot, the other 4 or 5 were there for cold/flu symptoms. They were all sent home, but what a waste of resources!

You do you. Let other people do what they see fit. You don't know their medical history, after all.

I feel rubbish this week with a virus, I've not been to the GP. There are other times I've felt rubbish but knew it was an infection so I went to the GP. You can't feel what other people do, you don't know when someone else has a virus that will clear up alone or a bacterial infection that will get worse without treatment. That's for the person and the medical professionals to determine.

Would rather they go to GP first than go straight to a and e x

How are you defining "feeling rubbish"? I went to my GP in December after developing a cold. I have asthma and was struggling to breathe properly, constantly coughing, etc

What are the signs its an infection for you?
Ive taken time off work, but hoping ill be OK soon enough.

A nasty cold that stops you going out/ returning to work etc

You can get secondary infections, e.g. chest infections, from a viral illness and they need treatment.

Dd was unwell with the flu and it went to her chest. She's asthmatic and needed a different inhaler, steroids and antibiotics.

That's just one example. Doctors also check for oxygen levels, heart rate etc to rule out anything more serious.

Hth

YANBU. Obviously some people have underlying conditions, or have concerning symptoms that need looking at. But some people need to get a grip.

I once had a housemate who spent Saturday night throwing up. She was ok Sunday - feeling a bit delicate but able to eat some plainer things and keep them down no problem. She went out to the pub to watch the football with her boyfriend and had some chips. She called the GP on Monday. I’ve no idea what on earth she was expecting to happen, but unsurprisingly the GP said “sounds like a vomiting bug that you are now pretty much recovered from. There’s nothing you need from me.”

Which is pretty much what I had. Aside from the shit nights sleep because of the coughing and snotty nose, I also had the issue of being able to walk without needing to stop to catch my breath. It took a good 10 minutes more for me to walk to my GP than normal because of it

Because they are drama queens.

Ah right. Yeh the lack of sleep from coughing is very annoying.

The level of pain, viruses are usually quite a dull pain or just aches in my experience. I had severe ear pain and fluid leaking when I had an ear infection. Chest infection I was wheezing, bringing up green phlegm and had sharp pain in my chest when coughing. I've never had a throat infection as far as I'm aware but my DH has and his throat was really painful and he had white spots on his tonsils. When I have a virus I can have a bad cough, sore throat and ears but the main symptoms are a runny nose and aches rather than being really painful. Bacterial infections are usually accompanied by a high temperature too, so is flu but flu can also lead to serious bacterial infections so if that was accompanied with pain I'd suggest getting checked by the GP.

I don't know. Hopefully with online triage it doesn't happen so much now? But I hate it when people tell me I should see the GP because I have a cough or a cold. Why?!

I think our expectations of doctors have dropped through the floor!

Some people would only go if they (by their own diagnostic tests!) believe that something may kill them and they won’t recover on their own.

Doctors are there to confirm that something isn’t serious, reassure and provide symptom control. Obviously, a short term low grade fever should be managed at home, but if you are bedbound and it has dragged on a week or more, it is worth seeing a GP.

Most things, if caught and treated early, are far cheaper and less draining on the NHS to treat.

Most people would call a plumber if their boiler had a warning light showing. Why treat your own body worse?!

My DH wanted to go to the GPs , we’ve both got a horrible virus, but that’s what it is…they are going to tell him to rest up and drink fluids and stay warm.

it’s the people who go to the GP with a lingering virus, specifically with the intent of obtaining antibiotics that annoy me.

”oh it’s been a week so I’m going to go and get antibiotics cos it hasn’t gone away”

then get really pissed off when they aren’t prescribed them. I saws a rant yesterday from someone slagging their GP because they weren’t prescribed.

I think you give it a good couple of weeks with a virus and by then you should be getting better. If you are getting worse then that’s likely to be a secondary infection so worth checking.

Agree no point in going the first week or two. Nothing to be done for a virus and best not to spread it around.

I think it's wxtreme on both sides of the coin. I live in the middle east and people go to a doctor if they have a symptoms, even just to tell the doctor about it but its easy to access and cheap/free. Same when I lived in India and Sri Lanka, not so much Africa but thats another story. On the other hand, the UK is so gaslighted, a lot of people have forgotten that you are actually allowed to go and see a doctor if you want to and it isnt WW2 and healthcare is not rationed. I know so many people who have worked in the NHS as overseas skilled workers but left for countries where they could actually treat patients. The UK has a god like perception of GPs, elsewhere doctor means not clever enough to be an engineer and GP means not good enough to be a surgeon, I must hear that said about people's kids at work at least 3 times a week.

The flip side of ignoring illness is that it suddenly worsens. Maybe that crackly cough is a secondary bacterial infection, maybe your inability to hold down fluids has left you severely dehydrated and affected your kidneys, maybe your slight shortness of breath could have been treated with inhalers and steroids but now needs oxygen in hospital etc

And then you end up at A&E or calling an ambulance, and need hospital treatment.

Obviously it is a judgment call and people know their own bodies to a greater or lesser extent. However, if something is really worrying you and feels out of the ordinary, a GP should surely be the first port of call?! I think it is irresponsible to encourage people to suck up being ill until they can’t any more.

I’m just (hopefully) coming to the end of a chest infection, bringing up green phlegm, not feeling great but not enough to keep me in bed, can still go shopping and can walk without being breathless. From what I’ve read the colour of the phlegm changes when your white cells are fighting infection, so I’ve given my body chance to do this. If I was still feeling rough, or my chest got worse by the end of next week, I’d book an appointment, just as a precaution, so I’d give it a good couple of weeks.

My DM on the other hand has COPD, so she has a care package in place if she does have a chest infection. She has to provide a sputum sample so this can be fast tracked to enable antibiotics to be prescribed (if necessary), although due to the weather last week and her not being able to make it to the GPS, she was advised to start taking the antibiotics anyway. So those with underlying health conditions definitely need to be seen.

Well, a virus is a pretty wide spectrum. I.e cold to viral meningitis