Antiviral drugs work by helping your body fight off detrimental viruses. These medications have the ability to ease symptoms and even shorten the sickness period of a viral infection. Antiviral drugs can also lower the risk of getting infected or spreading viruses. In this article, we are going to explain to you how the antiviral work exactly.
What are viruses?
In order to explain how antiviral medicine works inside your body, we need to tell you what viruses are first. They are microscopic infectious particles that have the ability to grow and spread inside the living cells of an organism.
A virus has many receptors which they use to attach to healthy cells in your body, and you become their host. Once it binds itself to a host cell, it can start to clone itself. In this process, the host cell dies, and the virus starts to infect other healthy cells.
There are times when viruses remain inside the host cell but don’t start replicating or damaging it. In this situation, the virus is still there, but you won’t exhibit any symptoms, but you can still be contagious. Such state of a virus is called latent, or inactive, however, it can become active at any time and start causing symptoms or infect others. Different viruses spread in different ways, through:
- Contaminated bodily products, such as saliva, urine, blood, feces, vomit, and semen.
- Bug bites — when a virus transfers from a bug’s saliva into a person’s blood.
- Skin-on-skin contact, which includes sexual intercourse.
How do antiviral drugs work?
Antiviral medicines work in different ways depending on the virus type and drug. Antivirals work by:
- Blocking receptors inside your body, so that viruses aren’t able to bind to healthy cells or enter them.
- Boosting your immune system, which helps with fighting off a viral infection.
- Lowering the viral load, which is the number of active virus agents inside the body.
Are antivirals able to cure viral infections?
Antiviral medications have the ability to ease symptoms and shorten the duration of a viral infection, like the flu and Ebola. They can cleanse your body of viruses. However, some of them, like HIV, hepatitis, and herpes are chronic, which means that antiviral drugs can’t destroy the virus, and it stays inside your body. Nevertheless, antivirals are able to make the virus latent (inactive), which will lower or even stop all symptoms.
How can you take antiviral drugs?
Most antiviral medicines are oral drugs that you swallow, but there are other ways to receive them as well, such as:
- Via eye drops.
- Via injection into a muscle.
- Via inhaled powder.
- Via IV into a vein.
- Via skin ointments or creams.
Typically, a doctor will prescribe to you one of these options that will best work for you in a certain situation.
For what period of time do you need to take antiviral drugs?
The duration of the treatment is different in every case, and it depends on which antiviral drug you will be using and of course the type of the viral infection. For instance, people who have chronic illnesses like HIV most likely have to take antivirals every day for life. In this specific situation, the drug regimen keeps the virus inactive inside the body and could potentially help prevent spreading the virus to others.
Is there a difference between antibiotics and antiviral drugs?
Yes, there is a fundamental difference between antibiotics and antiviral drugs. Both are medications used to treat infections, but they target different types of microorganisms, and their mechanisms of action vary.
1. Antibiotics:
Target:
Antibiotics are medications specifically designed to combat bacterial infections. They are not effective against viruses.
Mechanism of Action:
Antibiotics work by interfering with the bacterial cell wall, protein synthesis, or other essential bacterial processes. They may either kill the bacteria (bactericidal) or inhibit their growth (bacteriostatic).
— Examples: Common antibiotics include penicillin, amoxicillin, tetracycline, and ciprofloxacin.
2. Antiviral Drugs
Target:
Antiviral drugs are designed to treat viral infections. They are not effective against bacterial infections.
Mechanism of Action:
Antiviral drugs work by targeting specific stages of the viral life cycle. This can include preventing viral entry into host cells, inhibiting viral replication, or blocking the release of new virions. Antivirals are often more challenging to develop due to the complexity of the viral life cycle and the fact that viruses use host cells for replication.
— Examples: Common antiviral drugs include oseltamivir (Tamiflu) for influenza, acyclovir for herpes viruses, and protease inhibitors for HIV.
It’s crucial to use the right type of medication for the specific type of infection. Misuse or overuse of antibiotics can lead to antibiotic resistance, a significant public health concern. In contrast, antiviral drugs play a crucial role in managing viral infections, but their availability is more limited compared to antibiotics due to the challenges posed by the diversity of viruses and their ability to mutate.
Conclusion
It’s crucial to use the right type of medication for the specific type of infection. Misuse or overuse of antibiotics can lead to antibiotic resistance, a significant public health concern. In contrast, antiviral drugs play a crucial role in managing viral infections, but their availability is more limited compared to antibiotics due to the challenges posed by the diversity of viruses and their ability to mutate.
Always consult with a healthcare professional for accurate diagnosis and appropriate prescription of antibiotics or antiviral drugs based on the nature of the infection.
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