A blood culture refers to a test that checks for foreign particles in your body including bacteria, yeast, or other microorganisms. 

Why Do You Need a Blood Culture? 

Your doctor may recommend a blood culture if you have a blood infection. The test results will help your doctor determine the specific bacteria or organism causing the infection and how to overcome it. 

What Are the Symptoms of Blood Infection? 

The common symptoms include: 

• High fever. 

• Rapid breathing. 

• Chills. 

• Increased heart rate or palpitations. 

• Severe fatigue. 

• Headache. 

• Muscle aches. 

How is a Blood Culture Performed? 

During the blood culture, your skin will be cleaned and an elastic band or cuff will be wrapped around your arms to allow your veins to fill with blood. After this, blood will be drawn from your arm with a needle. The punctured site will be covered with a gauze or bandage. 

What Happens After the Procedure? 

If your test results suggest an infection, your doctor will immediately start the treatment. 

What Are the Risks Associated with a Blood Culture? 

Although rare, the possible risks include: 

• Haematoma. 

• Fainting. 

• Excessive bleeding. 

• Infection. 

A urine culture checks your urine for germs causing infection. 

Why Do You Need a Urine Culture? 

Your doctor may recommend a urine culture test for detecting urinary tract infections or UTIs. UTI occurs when bacteria enter the urethra and carry urine out of your body. A urine culture can help your doctor in detecting the bacteria or yeast causing the infection for appropriate treatment. 

In addition, a urine culture also helps with: 

• Diabetes. 

• Kidney disease including kidney stones. 

• Weak immune system. 

• Problems with your bladder. 

What Happens During a Urine Culture? 

For the urine culture test, your doctor needs a clean urine sample that is free from outside contaminants. You may either take one sample from your home or provide it at your doctor’s office. To take a clean sample: 

• Wash your hands with warm water and soap. 

• Use an antiseptic to clean your urethral opening. 

• Let a small amount of urine flush out and stop midway. 

• Place a sterile cup under the vulva or penis and resume peeing. 

• Collect the required amount in a cup, place a lid, and submit the sample. 

How Long Does a Urine Culture Take? 

It may take you a few minutes to collect the urine sample. Once your sample is received, the laboratory will grow the culture in an incubator at a specified temperature for 24 to 48 hours before handing you the results

A sputum culture is a diagnostic test that checks for the presence of bacteria and other germs in your lungs or respiratory tract.  

What is Sputum? 

Sputum is a thick mucus made by your lungs. In case of severe infections and illnesses, your lungs may cough up the sputum which is also called phlegm. Unlike your saliva or spit, sputum contains cells from your immune system that help in fighting bacteria in your lungs.  

Why Do You Need a Sputum Culture? 

Your doctor may require a sputum culture to diagnose a potential lung infection. It may also be required to diagnose: 

• Tuberculosis. 

• Pneumonia. 

• Bronchiectasis. 

You may also need a sputum culture if you have the following symptoms: 

• Fever. 

• Shortness of breath. 

• Mucus-producing cough. 

• Chest pain which gets worse when you cough. 

• Fatigue. 

What Happens During a Sputum Culture Test? 

Your doctor may collect the sample in one of the two ways: 

• Cough and spit: 

In this, your doctor will: 

1. Ask you to rinse your mouth with water and take deep breaths. 

2. Make you cough forcefully to bring up mucus and spit it in a cup. 

3. Ask you to repeat this process a few times 

• Bronchoscopy 

Alternatively, your doctor may conduct a bronchoscopy if you are unable to produce mucus via the cough and spit method. During this procedure, your doctor will: 

• Give you an anaesthetic. 

• Insert a thin, flexible, lighted tube (bronchoscope) through your mouth into the lungs. 

• Collect a sputum sample with the help of tiny instruments attached to the tube. 

• Take the tube out. 

What Happens After a Sputum Culture Test? 

If your test is conducted via cough and spit, you may cough more even after the test and may experience some discomfort. 

In case of bronchoscopy, you will be moved to a recovery area to rest for a while before going back home on the same day. 

Antibiotics are medications that help in fighting bacterial infections. These medications work by either killing or stopping the bacteria from multiplying in your body.  

Which Conditions Are Treated by Antibiotics? 

 Antibiotics treat a wide range of bacterial infections in your body from your innermost organs to the outer surface of your skin. This includes: 

• Cellulitis. 

• Impetigo. 

• Whooping cough. 

• Pneumonia. 

• Urinary tract infection. 

• Sexually transmitted diseases. 

• Conjunctivitis. 

• Lyme disease. 

• Sepsis. 

• Endocarditis. 

When Do You Not Need an Antibiotic? 

An antibiotic only treats bacterial infection. Hence, these should not be taken in case of viral infections, including: 

• Flu. 

• Common cold. 

• Sore throat. 

• Bronchitis. 

• Sinus infections. 

• Some ear infections. 

What Are the Benefits of Antibiotics? 

Antibiotics have several advantages, these include: 

• Speeding up your recovery process. 

• Clearing bacterial infections from your body. 

• Easing your symptoms and helping you feel better. 

• Stopping you from spreading the infection to others. 

• Protecting you from serious illnesses. 

• Saving your life in severe conditions. 

What Are the Side Effects of Antibiotics? 

Antibiotics may have common side effects, including: 

• Nausea and vomiting. 

• Diarrhoea. 

• Yeast infection. 

• Dizziness. 

• Skin rash.

Antiviral medications refer to medicines that help your body fight off viruses that can cause a disease. 

How Do Antiviral Medications Work? 

Antivirals work by: 

• Blocking receptors so that viruses cannot bind to healthy cells. 

• Boosting your immune system and fight off potential infections. 

• Reducing the amount of active virus in your body. 

Which Conditions Do Antivirals Treat? 

Antiviral medications help with fighting off chronic and life-threatening viral infections, including: 

• Flu or swine flu. 

• Coronavirus. 

• Ebola. 

• Herpes. 

• Hepatitis B or C. 

• Human immunodeficiency virus or HIV. 

What Are the Side Effects of Antivirals? 

Antivirals may have mild side effects, including: 

• Dizziness. 

• Diarrhoea. 

• Cough. 

• Dry mouth. 

• Fatigue. 

• Skin rash. 

• Joint pain. 

Antifungal medications are medicines that stop or kill the growth of fungus-causing infections. 

What Do Antifungals Treat? 

Antifungal medications treat a variety of fungal infections, including: 

• Dandruff. 

• Athlete’s foot or ringworm. 

• Fingernail or toenail infection. 

• Vaginitis. 

• Rhinosinusitis. 

• Meningitis. 

What Are the Side Effects of Antifungals? 

Antifungals have mild side effects, including: 

• Diarrhoea. 

• Abdominal pain. 

• Itching on skin. 

• Allergic reaction. 

Vaccination is a simple and effective way of protecting your body against harmful diseases way before you come in contact with them. Vaccines work by building your resistance to specific infections by training your immune system to create antibodies. Since vaccines contain a weak form of the bacteria or virus, these do not cause any disease or put you at risk. 

How Does a Vaccine Work? 

Vaccines reduce the risk of getting a disease by working with your body’s immune system. When you get a vaccine, your immune system responds by: 

• Identifying the invading germ including viruses and bacteria. 

• Producing antibodies to naturally fight the disease. 

• Remembering the disease and how to fight against it. 

A vaccine is one of the safest ways to build an immune response without causing any illness. 

Which Diseases Are Prevented by Vaccines? 

Vaccines prevent several diseases, including: 

• Coronavirus. 

• Cholera. 

• Cervical cancer. 

• Influenza. 

• Hepatitis B 

• Measles. 

• Meningitis. 

• Polio. 

• Rabies. 

• Tetanus. 

• Mumps. 

• Typhoid. 

• Pneumonia. 

• Rabies. 

What Are the Side Effects of Vaccines? 

Similar to any other medicines, vaccines also cause mild side-effects including pain or redness at the injection site and low-grade fever. These reactions are transient and go away within a few days on their own.