When should we be anti-antibiotics?

In our busy lives, many of us can’t afford to be out of commission due to illness, so the quicker we are back to normal the better. In most people’s minds that quick fix is taking antibiotics.

Antibiotics are among the most frequently prescribed medications in modern medicine. However, it’s possible that your sickness is caused by a viral infection against which antibiotics are powerless.

Antibiotics are powerful medicines that fight bacterial infections.

Examples of bacterial infections include Streptococcus (strep) such as strep throat and scarlet fever and Staphylococcus (staph) including skin infections, pneumonia and food poisoning.

In some cases, viral and bacterial infections have similar symptoms, so it can be confusing to know when antibiotics should be used.

The following are some basic guidelines on viral versus bacterial infections:

• Colds and flu are caused by viruses and they can't be cured with antibiotics;
• Cough or bronchitis is almost always caused by viruses;
  However, if you have a problem with your lungs or an illness that lasts a long time, bacteria may actually be the cause, thus your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic.
• Most sore throats are caused by viruses and don't need antibiotics;
  However, strep throat is caused by bacteria. Your doctor can determine if you have strep throat.
• There are several types of ear infections and antibiotics are used for only some of them;
• Antibiotics are often used to treat sinus infections.
  However, a runny nose and yellow or green mucus do not necessarily mean you need an antibiotic.

If a virus is making you sick, taking antibiotics may do more harm than good.

Each time you take antibiotics, you increase the chances of bacteria in your body becoming resistant to the medication.

Later, you could get or spread an infection that those antibiotics cannot cure.

Bacteria that are resistant to one antibiotic can sometimes be treated with other antibiotics, but a few kinds of bacteria are resistant to all antibiotics and are now untreatable.

If your doctor does prescribe an antibiotic for you, make sure you take all of the medicine, even if you feel better after a few days. This reduces the chance that there will be any bacteria left in your body that could potentially become resistant to antibiotics.

Also, never take antibiotics without a prescription and don’t take medications left over from a time when you were previously sick as they may not work on a current illness.

If they do work, there probably won’t be enough medicine to completely kill all the bacteria in your body. Not only will you continue to be sick, but this increases the chance that the bacteria will become resistant to antibiotics.

The bottom line is to not expect antibiotics to cure every illness.

Often, the best thing you can do for viral infections is let them run their course. Sometimes this can take two weeks or more.

To help ease symptoms, talk with your pharmacist about over-the-counter medications that can make you feel more comfortable. If your illness gets worse after two weeks, talk to your doctor.

The best thing to do is to try and prevent infection in the first place by practising good hygiene and washing your hands often with soap and water.