Self-Care Pocket Guide • Things to Read Before Using This Guide
Why Antibiotics Aren't Always the Answer

Antibiotics are prescription medicines that kill bacteria, but not viruses. Most viral infections, including colds, flu, mono, some stomach bugs, and many sore throats, just have to run their course. Self-care measures are often all that can be done for viral symptoms.

If you take an antibiotic for a viral infection, it will be ineffective, you run the unnecessary risk of having an adverse reaction, and it wastes your money. Also, the more people who take antibiotics, the greater the chance that "drug-resistant" bacteria will develop. Drug-resistant bacteria can't be treated effectively by common, inexpensive antibiotics and result in longer, more severe illnesses, often require hospitalization for intravenous antibiotics, and sometimes can't be treated with any antibiotic.

Sometimes viral infections lead to "secondary" bacterial infections for which antibiotics are appropriate. Healthcare providers can distinguish bacterial from viral infections. Not prescribing antibiotics for viral symptoms protects the future health of us all.