Antibiotics: when they help and when they do not

Antibiotics changed medicine. They treat infections that once killed people routinely. But they are often used for illnesses they cannot touch, and that carries a real cost.

Bacteria and viruses are not the same

Antibiotics kill bacteria or stop them multiplying. They do nothing against viruses. Colds, flu, most sore throats, most coughs and most cases of diarrhoea are viral. Taking an antibiotic for these will not shorten the illness or prevent complications.

Conditions that usually do need antibiotics

• Bacterial pneumonia
• Urinary tract infections
• Many skin and wound infections
• Bacterial sexually transmitted infections such as gonorrhoea, chlamydia and syphilis
• Streptococcal throat infection confirmed by a clinician

Deciding this needs an assessment, sometimes with a test. Symptoms alone are often a poor guide.

Why resistance matters to you personally

Every time antibiotics are used unnecessarily, bacteria get another chance to adapt. Resistant infections take longer to treat, need stronger and more expensive medicines, and sometimes stop responding altogether. This is not a distant problem: it affects routine surgery, childbirth and the treatment of ordinary infections.

Using antibiotics well

• Take them only when a clinician has prescribed them for you.
• Finish the course exactly as prescribed, unless your clinician tells you to stop.
• Never share antibiotics, and never keep leftovers for next time.
• Do not use antibiotics prescribed for someone else, even with similar symptoms.
• Tell your clinician about any allergies and about other medicines you take.
• Return any unused medicines to a pharmacy for safe disposal.

What to do instead when it is viral

Rest, fluids, and simple remedies for symptom relief are usually enough. Paracetamol can bring down fever and ease aches. Most viral illnesses settle within a week to ten days. What matters is knowing the warning signs that need review: breathing difficulty, a fever that will not settle, dehydration, or symptoms that worsen after initially improving.

If you are told you do not need antibiotics

That is a clinical decision made in your interest, not a brush-off. Ask what to expect, how long symptoms should last and exactly which signs mean you should come back. A good consultation ends with you knowing what to watch for.