You probably already know that antibiotics are for bacterial infections and not viral infections. But do you know what illnesses and symptoms fall under each type? Antibiotics won’t help with common viral infections, colds, flu, bronchitis, most coughs and sore throats, and even some ear infections, sinus infections, and stomach flu.
There’s a good reason (or three) why you should. Taking antibiotics when it’s not needed will seek out and attack bacteria in your system, even the beneficial kind. Overuse of antibiotics and not taking them as prescribed can cause harmful bacteria to become antibiotic resistant