Antibiotics

Antibiotics are chemotherapeutic medicine that inhibit and stop the infections of bacteria in our body. This medicine is used to kill bacteria that cause specific diseases, such as strep throat, ear infections, urinary tract infections, and sinus infections. Antibiotics can not kill virus, so antibiotics do not work against illnesses that are caused by a virus. They do not help illnesses such as common colds, influenza, most cases of acute bronchitis, most sore throats not caused by strep, and runny noses. Antibiotics must be used well. If we take antibiotics when we do not need them, they may not work when we do need them. Each time we take antibiotics, we are more likely to have some bacteria that the medicine does not kill. Over time these bacteria change (mutate) and become harder to kill. The antibiotics that used to kill them no longer work. These bacteria are called antibiotic-resistant bacteria.