Antibiotics are powerful medicines. They are important to treat most infections caused by bacterial and fungal germs. Antibiotics don’t work against viruses that cause the common cold, most coughs, the flu, and COVID-19.
Taking antibiotics when you don’t need them can be harmful. When you use antibiotics, they can sometimes cause side-effects like a skin rash, diarrhea, or a yeast infection. While most side-effects are not serious, some can be life threatening.
Scientific studies have also found that when you take antibiotics, it increases the chance that if you get an infection in the future, it’s more likely to be caused by bacteria or fungus that are resistant to antibiotics. Antibiotic resistance is a germ's ability to fight off the drugs designed to kill them. These antibiotic resistant infections can be more difficult to treat which means that antibiotics might not work when you really need them. So, it’s important to use antibiotics only when your doctor says you truly need them.
To provide the best care, medical staff will only prescribe an antibiotic when you need it and will avoid prescribing an antibiotic when you do not need it. The Strengthening Antimicrobial Stewardship Program supports nursing homes in their commitment to providing the best care to their patients.
What do antibiotics treat?
Antibiotics are only effective in treating infections caused by bacterial and fungal germs.
Antibiotics are important to treat life-threatening bacterial and fungal infections such as pneumonia and sepsis, an infection of the blood. They also can be important for some respiratory infections such as strep throat and for urinary tract infections.
Colds, flu and runny noses: treat with antibiotics or not?
Colds, flu, and runny noses are caused by viruses, not bacteria or fungal germs.
Antibiotics do not work on viruses and will not be helpful to treat these illnesses – even if the mucus is thick, yellow, or green.
The best way to treat viral respiratory infections is staying home and resting, drinking plenty of fluids, and using a medicine such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen to relieve aches and fever.
Urinary tract infections: treat with antibiotics or not?
Your healthcare team will determine if you have a urinary tract infection (UTI) that needs to be treated with antibiotics or not.
If you do have a UTI, antibiotics are helpful. But if you don’t, then treatment can be harmful.
Confusion or mental status changes, or dark or cloudy urine does not mean you have a UTI. Other causes of confusion or mental status change include dehydration and side-effects of other medication you are taking, and these are not treated with antibiotics.
#FFXHealthFacts: Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance
- Up to 70% of residents in a nursing home receive one or more courses of antibiotics each year.
- Each year in the U.S., at least 2.8 million people become infected with an antibiotic resistant infection.
- Antibiotic resistant bacteria cause more than 35,000 deaths in the US each year.
- Infections caused by antibiotic resistant bacteria can be more difficult or complicated to treat.
- Preventing antibiotic resistance now will help keep antibiotics working in the future.
Have Questions?
If you are wondering whether antibiotics are the right medicine for you, ask your healthcare team. Remember, antibiotics are powerful medicine but if they are not needed, they can be harmful. Your healthcare team will make sure you get the best care and will only use antibiotics when necessary.
