All About Antibiotics - You Must Know When Antibiotics Work

Antibiotics are powerful medicines that fight bacterial infections. Used properly, antibiotics can save lives. They either kill bacteria or keep them from reproducing. Your body's natural defenses can usually take it from there.

Antibiotics do not fight infections caused by viruses, such as

    Colds
    Flu
    Most coughs and bronchitis
    Sore throats, unless caused by strep

If a virus is making you sick, taking antibiotics may do more harm than good. Using antibiotics when you don't need them, or not using them properly, can add to antibiotic resistance. This happens when bacteria change and become able to resist the effects of an antibiotic.

When you take antibiotics, follow the directions carefully. It is important to finish your medicine even if you feel better. If you stop treatment too soon, some bacteria may survive and re-infect you. Do not save antibiotics for later or use someone else's prescription.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem, both in the United States and across the world. The main driving factors behind antibiotic resistance are the overuse and misuse of antibiotics. Learn more below about when antibiotics are and are not needed for common infections, and the potential harms of using antibiotics.
If You Have a Cold or Flu, Antibiotics Won't Work for You

Are you aware that colds, flu, most sore throats, bronchitis, and many sinus and ear infections are caused by viruses? Did you know that antibiotics do not help fight viruses? It's true. For the overwhelming majority of common respiratory infections, antibiotics are not helpful.

Antibiotics cure bacterial infections, not viral infections such as:

    Colds or flu
    Most coughs and bronchitis
    Most sore throats
    Runny noses

Taking antibiotics for viral infections will not:

    Cure the infection
    Keep other individuals from catching the illness
    Help you feel better

Antibiotics Can Cause More Harm than Good

Taking antibiotics when you have a virus may do more harm than good:

Antibiotics are responsible for 1 out of 5 emergency department visits for adverse drug events. Antibiotics are the most common cause of emergency department visits for adverse drug events in children under 18 years of age.Offer a click to view larger image option

    Taking antibiotics increases your risk of getting an antibiotic-resistant infection later.
    Antibiotics kill the healthy bacteria in the gut, allowing more harmful bacteria, such as C. difficile, to grow in its place.
        Although this infection is more commonly found in hospitals, it also occurs in clinics outside of the hospital

• Antibiotics cause 1 out of 5 emergency department visits for adverse drug events.
• Antibiotics are the most common cause of emergency department visits for adverse drug events in children under 18 years of age.

It’s important to only take antibiotics for bacterial infections since they can put you or your child at risk for harmful side effects and antibiotic-resistant infections.

 Is That Antibiotic Treatment Safe ?

Antibiotics should not be used as a treatment on a personal initiative because it could have a negative impact on health in the future. There are many factors to consider in determining the type of treatment for an infection that you experienced. Therefore, the use of antibiotics that are safe always requires guidance from a doctor who has been trained medically for many years.

Before prescribing antibiotics to a patient, it should be ascertained in advance that the infection is caused by bacteria or parasites that it can be destroyed by antibiotics. If the infection is caused by a virus, antibiotics not only false step and ineffective but can harm our bodies.

One of the reasons why antibiotics are included in the class of prescription drugs and OTC drugs is not because only a doctor can distinguish bacterial infection from other infections that can not be handled by antibiotics.

Here are examples of suitable bacterial infection treated with antibiotics :

• Severe sinus infection, more than two weeks.

•      Sore throat.

•      Urinary tract infection.

•      Most wounds and skin infections such as infections staphyloccocus.

•      A small portion of ear infections.

  Thank you for your attention .