Patient's question:
Recently, the temperature difference at school has been particularly large, so many people have caught colds. Moreover, I have also caught a cold recently, and now I'm coughing quite severely. I want to ask the doctor whether to take Cefalexin or Amoxicillin for a cold with cough. Which of these two medications is more helpful for a complete recovery?Doctor's answer:
When a cold causes coughing and subsequently leads to a bacterial infection, both cephalosporins and amoxicillin are effective, as both belong to the β-lactam class of antibiotics. These two medications work by inhibiting the evolution of bacterial cell walls, thereby achieving complete eradication of bacteria. However, coughing caused by a cold may also be triggered by a virus, in which case antiviral medications are necessary. It is also possible that the coughing could be a symptom of asthma recurrence, requiring active treatment with asthma medications.