Antibiotics Cannot Treat a Viral Infection?

Answer 1

There is a serious and growing issue of bacteria that is becoming resistant to the strongest antibiotic drugs available. Years of over prescribing antibiotics is suspected as being partly to blame with patients not correctly finishing a course of prescribed antibiotics adding to the problem. Antibiotics are exclusively for pathogenic infections caused by bacteria. They do absolutely nothing to cure or control a viral infection.

Doctors Diagnosing and Prescribing

A person may go to the doctor to get some help for the symptoms of a bad cold. The cold is caused by a virus. However, secondary bacteria infections could be present along with the viral infection of the cold virus. A thick yellow nasal discharge may be a bacterial sinus infection. It takes days to get the results back from a culture, so doctors routinely prescribe antibiotics as a prophylactic (just in case) treatment based on what is seen.

Patients, and especially the parents of child patients, began to expect antibiotics to be prescribed every time sickness strikes. Doctors know full well that antibiotics do nothing to kill a viral infection, but they often relent because patients want a pill rather than advice to rest and drink plenty of fluids for the next few days. This continued practice has now given rise to bacteria that is tough to kill.

Patient Error

Antibiotics work by killing off both good and bad bacteria. Each antibiotic kills certain strains and types of bacteria. Patients generally would begin to feel better before the antibiotic pills were finished. A ten day course of antibiotics may be stopped by a patient feeling better at around day six. The problem is that bacteria in the body that is already slightly resistant to the pills is allowed to live and spread into the environment because the prescription was not finished.

Whenever a doctor advises rest and fluids along with some over-the-counter pain medication to get through a viral infection, do not ask for antibiotics. In fact, ask if there is evidence of a bacterial infection when antibiotics are prescribed. Ask if they are absolutely necessary for treatment. Antibiotic medications can be a real lifesaver when they are needed. However, when it comes to viral infections, they are no help at all.