Infections which can be cured with antibiotics

If a germ becomes resistant to many medicines, treating the infections can become difficult or even impossible. Someone with an infection that is resistant to a certain medicine can pass that resistant infection to another person. In this way, a hard-to-treat illness can be spread from person to person. In some cases, the antibiotic-resistant illness can lead to serious disability or even death. Resistance can happen if the bacterial infection is only partially treated.

To prevent this, it is important to finish taking the entire prescription of antibiotics as instructed, even if your child is feeling better. This complicated question, which should be answered by your healthcare provider, depends on the specific diagnosis. For example, there are several types of ear infections — most need antibiotics, but some do not.

Most cases of sore throat are caused by viruses. One kind, strep throat, diagnosed by a lab test, needs antibiotics. Common viral infections, like coughs or a cold, can sometimes become complicated and a bacterial infection can develop. However, treating viral infections with antibiotics in order to prevent bacterial infections is not recommended because of the risk of causing bacterial resistance:.

Remember that antibiotics do not work against viral colds and the flu, and that unnecessary antibiotics can be harmful.

Talk with your healthcare provider about antibiotics and find out about the differences between viruses and bacteria, and when antibiotics should and should not be used. If your child receives an antibiotic, be sure to give it exactly as prescribed to decrease the development of resistant bacteria. Antibiotics are powerful medicines that fight certain infections and can save lives when used properly.

They either stop bacteria from reproducing or destroy them. Before bacteria can multiply and cause symptoms, the immune system can typically kill them. White blood cells WBCs attack harmful bacteria and, even if symptoms do occur, the immune system can usually cope and fight off the infection.

Sometimes, however, the number of harmful bacteria is excessive, and the immune system cannot fight them all. Antibiotics are useful in this scenario. The first antibiotic was penicillin. Penicillin-based antibiotics, such as ampicillin, amoxicillin, and penicillin G, are still available to treat a variety of infections and have been around for a long time. Several types of modern antibiotics are available, and they are usually only available with a prescription in most countries.

Topical antibiotics are available in over-the-counter OTC creams and ointments. Some medical professionals have concerns that people are overusing antibiotics. They also believe that this overuse contributes toward the growing number of bacterial infections that are becoming resistant to antibacterial medications. Antibiotic use appears to be higher in some regions , such as the Southeast. Use of carbapenems, a major class of last-line antibiotics, increased significantly from to Alexander Fleming, speaking in his Nobel Prize acceptance speech in , said:.

As the man who discovered the first antibiotic almost 70 years ago predicted, drug resistance is starting to become commonplace. Antibiotics are ineffective against viruses. A doctor prescribes antibiotics for the treatment of a bacterial infection. It is not effective against viruses. Viruses cause most upper respiratory tract infections URTIs , such as the common cold and flu.

Antibiotics do not work against these viruses. If people overuse antibiotics or use them incorrectly, the bacteria might become resistant. This means that the antibiotic becomes less effective against that type of bacterium, as the bacterium has been able to improve its defenses. A doctor can prescribe a broad-spectrum antibiotic to treat a wide range of infections. A narrow-spectrum antibiotic is only effective against a few types of bacteria.

Some antibiotics attack aerobic bacteria, while others work against anaerobic bacteria. Strep throat is caused by bacteria and can be treated with antibiotics. Your doctor can do tests to see what is causing your sore throat. Ear infections. Most ear infections in adults and older children will get better without antibiotics. Very young children and people with a high fever might need antibiotics.

Sinus infections. Antibiotics are sometimes used to treat sinus infections that are caused by bacteria. However, a runny nose and yellow or green mucus may be caused by a cold virus and do not always mean you need an antibiotic.

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