Antibiotics can be life-saving medicines, but they are not a treatment for every infection.
They work against certain infections caused by bacteria. They do not work against viruses, which cause illnesses such as the common cold and flu.
Understanding when antibiotics are useful and when they are not can help prevent unnecessary side effects and slow the spread of antibiotic resistance.
What exactly are antibiotics?
Antibiotics are medicines used to treat certain bacterial infections.
Depending on the infection, a healthcare professional may prescribe an antibiotic for conditions such as some urinary tract infections, strep throat or whooping cough.
But antibiotics are not effective against viruses.
For example, taking an antibiotic for an ordinary cold will not make the viral infection disappear or help you recover faster.
So, why do people sometimes take antibiotics for a cold or fever?
Because symptoms can overlap. Fever, cough, sore throat, tiredness and body aches can occur with different types of infections. Having these symptoms does not automatically mean that the cause is bacterial.
Sometimes a viral infection can also be followed by a bacterial infection. In those situations, antibiotics may become appropriate but the need for treatment depends on the actual diagnosis. This is one reason it is important not to assume that every infection needs an antibiotic.
What happens when antibiotics are used unnecessarily?
Antibiotics can cause side effects, even when they are taken appropriately. Unnecessary use exposes someone to those risks without providing a benefit for an infection that the medicine cannot treat. There is also a wider concern: antibiotic resistance.
Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria no longer respond to medicines that are designed to treat them. This can make bacterial infections harder to treat and can reduce the treatment options available when antibiotics are genuinely needed. The World Health Organization reported that approximately 1 in 6 laboratory-confirmed bacterial infections worldwide was resistant to antibiotics in 2023.
Antibiotic resistance isn’t your body becoming resistant
This is an important distinction.
When people say, “My body has become resistant to antibiotics,” that isn’t quite what antibiotic resistance means.
The bacteria develop resistance to the medicine.
That means an antibiotic that previously worked against a particular bacterium may become less effective or ineffective against it.
Misuse and overuse of antimicrobials are important drivers of antimicrobial resistance.
How can you use antibiotics responsibly?
If an antibiotic is prescribed to you:
- Take it exactly as prescribed.
- Don’t use someone else’s antibiotics.
- Don’t give your antibiotics to someone else.
- Don’t keep leftover antibiotics to use for a future illness.
- Follow the instructions given by your healthcare professional about the medicine.
- If you are unsure whether you need an antibiotic, seek appropriate medical advice rather than assuming.
The right antibiotic, at the right dose, for the right bacterial infection matters.
Takeaway
Not every infection needs an antibiotic.
Antibiotics treat certain bacterial infections not viral infections.
Using antibiotics only when they are appropriate helps protect the individual from unnecessary medication risks and helps preserve the effectiveness of these important medicines for the future.
Think before you take. Use antibiotics appropriately.
This information is for health education and does not replace an assessment or treatment plan from a qualified healthcare professional.
Sources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Antibiotic Do’s and Don’ts.
https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/communication-resources/do-and-dont-help.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About Antimicrobial Resistance.
https://www.cdc.gov/antimicrobial-resistance/about/index.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Common Cold: Treatment.
https://www.cdc.gov/common-cold/treatment/index.html
World Health Organization (WHO). Antimicrobial Resistance.
https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/antimicrobial-resistance