Antibiotics do not treat flu

The role of antibiotics

Antibiotics do not cure all infections. Bacteria and viruses may cause different infections, which require specific treatments. Talk to your doctor to make sure you only use antibiotics for the right reasons and at the right time.

Antibiotics penicillin doxycycline amoxicillin work against bacteria infections urinary tract bloodstream pneumonia tuberculosis salmonellosis

Antibiotics are medicines used to prevent and treat bacterial infections. They work by destroying or slowing down the growth of bacteria.

Example of bacterial infections include pneumonia, urinary tract infection (UTI), cellulitis and skin boils, and tuberculosis.

Antibiotics do not work against viruses upper respiratory infections URTI flu hand foot mouth disease HFMD

Antibiotics cannot kill viruses because they are a completely different class of germs. They have different structures and reproduce in a different way. Antibiotics will not help you recover from viral infections like the flu because they do not work on viruses.

Examples of viral infection in Singapore include upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) such as the cold or the flu, and the hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD)

How antibiotics are commonly misused

Misuse antibiotics upper respiratory tract infections URTI flu runny nose sneezing cough mild fever

Upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs), like the flu, are mainly caused by viruses and cannot be treated with antibiotics.

If you find yourself with common symptoms of URTIs, such as runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, headache, sore throat, cough and mild fever, talk to your doctor about your treatment options. Antibiotics should only be taken when they are prescribed to you. Do not demand or request antibiotics when your doctor says that you do not require it. Never use or share leftover antibiotics.

Misuse antibiotics no effect speed up recovery viral infections flu talk to doctor

Antibiotics are not effective against viral infections, such as the flu, and will not help you recover faster.

Talk to your doctor to make sure you only use antibiotics for the right reasons and at the right time. In fact, flu symptoms typically resolve on their own within 3-7 days.

The impact of misusing antibiotics

Due to the lack of knowledge on appropriate antibiotic usage, antibiotics are sometimes taken for the wrong purposes, resulting in bacteria growing "smarter" over time and learning how to be resistant against antibiotics.

Impact misuse antibiotics resistance rising worldwide globally new bacteria increase infection medical procedures

Bacteria that have developed resistance to antibiotics can spread from person-to-person. It can also spread to human from animals, food and the environment.

Infections are major complications of medical treatments such as organ transplants, chemotherapy and surgeries. Antibiotics are used to treat or prevent these infections so that these procedures now can be done safely and effectively. With growing resistance to antibiotics, these procedures may get riskier with higher rates of complications, causing these procedures to be less successful.

When antibiotics are overused and misused, their effectiveness is reduced. It is more difficult to treat bacterial infections if the antibiotics used become ineffective.

Always talk to doctor for treatment you need prevent antibiotic resistance together

Without urgent action, we are heading for a post-antibiotic era, in which common infections and minor injuries will become deadly once more.

Let's prevent antibiotic resistance together.

CONTRIBUTED BY

Health Promotion Board

MYHEALTH

Antibiotics do not treat flu