So don’t go to the doctor and ask for antibiotics, for they won’t help. If you’re in a country that let you buy antibiotics over the counter, save them for something it might be helpful for.

There are antiviral drugs, but their side effects tend to be higher than those in antibiotics and are usual reserved for very bad infections; if someone is sick enough to be in the hospital, antivirals like Tamiflu will be prescribed, but otherwise healthy adults won’t generally be prescribed antivirals. However, children under the age of two, the elderly and folks with immune disorders are on the CDC’s list of folks that are candidates for antivirals, since they are at higher risk of dying from bad bouts of the flu.

For the rest of us, the old joke about viral infections rings true; if you go to the doctor, you get better in 6-8 days, if you don’t, you get better in about a week. All the doctor can do absent antivirals is to treat symptoms. If you have bad chest congestion that is causing breathing problems, steroid shots or nebulizing inhalers can help. A visit to a doctor isn’t in vain, especially if you have serious enough problems that might require hospitalization, but don’t expect miracle drugs from Dr. Feelgood.

The old-school advice still holds; drink plenty of clear liquids, rest and STAY HOME; you don’t want other people to be feeling as miserable as you do. If you are having a lot of congestion, the mucus will be sucking up liquids, so you have to drink a lot of water to keep from becoming Pierre, the Dehydrated Frenchman. The mucus is helping clear those unwelcome visitors out, so keep the water coming.

Decongestants can help clear out your sinuses and lungs, but avoid antihistamines; they dry up your sinuses, but they also will tend to keep the virus in place. You want your immune system to get those viruses out of there, and mucus is how your system gives them the heave-ho.

There are times when patients arrive to the emergency room with chest pain and the doctor has to decide whether it is caused by anxiety or an heart attack.

Chest pains, cold sweat, shortness of breath will present themselves in cases of cardiovascular problems. If the pain feels different than what you experienced before or it is much stronger and lasts longer, do not avoid getting immediate help by thinking it is only an anxiety attack.

It is very important to stress that sometimes doctors make mistakes in the diagnosis, especially under emergency situations. Frank and truthful conversation with the doctor will help him avoid mistakes. It is better to have an additional exam just to rule out other physical problems.

Another extreme case that require immediate medical attention is when a person has thoughts of harming himself or others. This is a very important point since anxiety and depression sometimes go hand in hand. Many murder/suicide cases could have been averted had the person talked about it, or someone close to him has notice a change or a formation of a plan.

If the person has the means to commit suicide or harm others such as a gun, knife or pills, it is time for an outside intervention. Having a detailed plan how to do it, including time and place is another indication that the person might take action.

When there’s a deep depression and feelings that only death will make this feeling go away, when there’s talk of death, preoccupation with “the other side”, it’s time for professional help.

The help can come in different forms as in hospitalization, medication, psychological therapy or even shock therapy. All those methods aim at changing the brain chemistry to allow the affected person lead a normal life.