By Emma V. Chambers
Do you have a sore throat, persistent cough or the flu? No problem, just ask your primary care physician for an antibiotic. Not so fast. Antibiotics won’t help. Colds, flu and other common illnesses are caused by viruses, and antibiotics don’t kill them. In fact, there are no medications that kill these viruses. If you have a virus, it must run its natural course — usually in two weeks. Antibiotics are used to treat infections caused by bacteria, fungi and some parasites. They are commonly used to treat pneumonia, sinus infections, strep throat, ear infections, skin infections, acne, urinary tract infections and some sexually transmitted diseases. So how do you know if your illness is caused by a virus or bacteria or if you need an antibiotic? Leading Medicine editor Emma Chambers sat down with Methodist chief of infectious diseases Dr. Victor Fainstein to discuss these and other antibiotic-related questions.
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