In keeping with a frequent holiday and post-holiday occurrence, several members of my household came down with sinus and respiratory ailments. With a bevy of over-the-counter cold remedies, eucalyptus aromatherapy, and strategically placed vaporizers, I set forth to do battle with the rampaging virus.

And virus it was. No one had a fever, sputum reports were consistently clear, all signs pointed to viral upper respiratory infection.

From past experience as a nurse, I know that rest, increased fluids, and symptomatic care with over-the-counter medications is all that can really be done for the basic viral upper respiratory infection. Antibiotics don't do anything for viral infections. See the CDC publication "If You Have a Cold or Flu, Antibiotics Won't Work For You."

I was at Group Health the other day on an unrelated matter, and I saw a waiting room full of coughing and hacking people, most of whom undoubtedly had a case of the same virus afflicting my family.The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends that you should call your doctor if:

• You continue to wheeze and cough for more than 2 weeks, especially at night or when you are active.
• You continue to cough for more than 2 weeks and sometimes have a bad-tasting fluid come up into your mouth.
• You have a cough, you feel very sick and weak, and you have a high fever that doesn’t go down.
• You cough up blood.
• You have trouble breathing when you lie down.
• Your feet swell.

For a basic viral upper respiratory infection, however, the doctor will advise rest, increased fluids, and symptomatic care with over-the-counter medications, all things that people could initiate at home without making a trip to the doctor.