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Antibiotic had been hailed as a superdrug ever since its discovery, and had improved the numerous lifestyles and saved the countless diseased. But what on earth are we doing with it?

How it works

Antibiotics deal exclusively with bacteria. If you have a flu instead of a cold, for example, antibiotic will have no effects on your stuffy nose. Antibiotics is often misused, which can lead to unnecessary proliferation of superbugs—the antibiotic resistant bacteria that may cause future illnesses that are harder to treat. Although antibiotics are great, they would do more harm than good if they are generously dosed on everything. [Continue reading to find out about what antibiotics can or cannot cure and what you should do when sick.] Pneumonia is an example of a superbug. Nicknamed the “old man’s friend,” each year millions of Americans come down with pneumonia, usually as a complication of another illness and about 60,000 die from it. Catching pneumonia in a hospital is often more serious because hospital bacteria are usually resistant to antibiotics.

• If a person is infected with bacteria that is resistant to some antibiotics, he or she will need some other antibiotics, which are invariably more expensive and less available. Sometimes these antibiotics must be given intravenously in the hospital.
• If the person is infected with bacteria that is resistant to all antibiotics, it may be impossible to treat the infection successfully.

Infection with antibiotic resistant bacteria may result in mental or growth retardation in children, seizures, other health effects, and death.

More for less

In order to eliminate superbugs, we must remove the source—antibiotics. We need not return to the bleak era of pre-antibiotics; there is still enough time to cut down on antibiotic use.

Some common illnesses may not need antibiotics to treat:

• Sore throat and strep throat

90% of sore throats are viral, which means taking antibiotics have no effects on the symptoms. The remainder 10% are caused by bacterial infection, e.g. group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus [Wikipedia Article], and the rare oral candidiasis [Wikipedia Article]. The most accurate test to diagnose strep throat is through a throat culture, but it takes one to days before the results are known. A doctor can know within ten minutes, through a rapid strep test, whether you have strep throat or not. Since there may be no difference at all in symptoms between strep throat and viral illnesses, if you have a sore throat, go see a doctor.

• Sinus infection and common cold

There are few medical absolutes, and this is one of them: Antibiotics do not cure cold. Viruses causes cold and they are not killed by antibiotics. Some types of sinus infection, however, can be treated by antibiotics. But because sinusitis can have a multitude of causes, you should think twice before reaching for the medical cabinet.

Bottom line: If you’re unsure about what medicine you should take for your illness, go see a doctor.