Remember, all healthy people have bacteria living on their skin. Some of these bacteria can protect a person from more harmful germs. When a person takes an antibiotic for an infection, the antibiotic does not just kill the bacteria causing the infection. It also kills the good bacteria living on the skin. Of course, antibiotics should not be viewed as harmful medicines.
Antibiotics are one of our most important weapons against some infections.
But most infections like colds or the flu do not need antibiotic treatment. For those infections, antibiotics can do more harm than good. The plan points out that antibiotics are not always needed to treat boils. We suggest using warm packs and keeping the area very clean with soap and water. In some cases, the provider must make a small cut in the boil to release pressure and allow the pus to drain.