Conditions treated
Colds and Respiratory Infections by Telehealth in Florida
Coughs, colds, and sore throats are among the most common reasons to use telehealth, and for good reason: the evaluation is mostly history, and you avoid sitting in a waiting room with other people's infections. Some causes do need a swab or an examination, and you will be told plainly when that applies to you.
“A cold is a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract (also called an upper respiratory infection or URI).”
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
What a video visit can settle
Most respiratory infections are viral and improve on their own, and the useful outcome of a visit is often not a prescription but knowing what you have, what to do about the symptoms, how long it should reasonably last, and the specific point at which it stops being ordinary.
A cough that lingers for two or three weeks after a cold is common and usually not a sign of anything serious, though it is worth evaluating if it is getting worse rather than slowly better.
Where a swab or an exam is needed
- Strep throat requires a throat swab. It cannot be confirmed or ruled out by looking at a throat on camera, and antibiotics should not be prescribed for it without a test.
- Flu and COVID-19 need a test. Home tests are widely available and the results can be reviewed at your visit, which often keeps everything remote.
- Pneumonia needs someone to listen to your lungs, and usually a chest x-ray. Suspected pneumonia is referred in person the same day.
- Ear infections need the ear examined directly.
Treating symptoms properly
Rest, fluids, and time do most of the work. Beyond that: honey for cough in adults and children over one year, saline rinses for congestion, throat lozenges, and appropriate use of acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Multi-symptom combination products often include ingredients you do not need, and single-ingredient products are usually the better choice.
Antibiotics do nothing for viral infections. Being told that clearly, with a plan for what to watch for, is a better outcome than a prescription that carries side effects and no benefit.
Symptoms that need urgent evaluation
Seek emergency care for trouble breathing or shortness of breath at rest, chest pain, coughing up blood, confusion, blue or grey lips, inability to keep fluids down, or a fever with a stiff neck and severe headache.
Questions about colds and respiratory infections
Can you tell if I have strep over video?
No, and neither can an in-person look without a swab. Strep requires testing, and you would be directed to where a rapid test is available near you.
Can antibiotics be prescribed by telehealth?
Yes, when they are actually indicated. For the many respiratory infections that are viral, they are not, and prescribing them anyway would not help you.
How long is too long for a cough?
A post-viral cough lasting two to three weeks is common. A cough beyond three weeks, or one that is worsening, bringing up blood, or accompanied by fever, weight loss, or night sweats, needs evaluation.
Should I be seen for the flu?
It is worth a visit early if you are at higher risk from age or a chronic condition, since antiviral treatment works best when started within about two days of symptoms beginning.
Is this covered for children?
Yes. The practice sees patients of all ages, and children join the membership together with an enrolled parent or guardian.
This page is general health information, not medical advice, and reading it does not create a provider-patient relationship. Decisions about your care should be made with a clinician who knows your history.
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Get colds and respiratory infections looked at
Request a video visit from anywhere in Florida. Same provider each time, in English or Spanish.
Prefer to call? (352) 352-8383