0 Do You Know When Antiobiotics Work?

Do you know when antibiotics work and when they don’t? We would all like to hear that they will kick out any illness, but that’s not the case. Antibiotics cure bacterial infections, not viral infections such as colds, flu, runny noses, sore throats other than strep, and most coughs. Taking them when you have a virus actually may do more harm than good. Every time a person takes an antibiotic, most of the bacteria are killed, but some germs may be left to grow and multiply. Repeated and improper uses are primarily the cause of the increase in drug-resistant antibiotics.

When you use them properly, you do the best for you, your family and those around you. "We want Americans to keep their families and communities healthy by getting smart about the proper use of antibiotics," said Lauri Hicks, D.O., medical director of CDC's Get Smart campaign.
Take this quiz from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and find out how well you know antibiotics. For more information, check out the CDC’s Get Smart campaign.