When antibiotics can and cannot help When you're sick, antibiotics are not always the answer. In fact, unnecessary antibiotics can be harmful. This article should answer your questions about when antibiotics are helpful and when they are not.
Antibiotics are strong medicines that treat bacterial infections.
They do not treat viral infections. Used correctly, antibiotics can save lives. Used improperly, they can be harmful. There are two main types of organisms that cause infections, viruses and bacteria. You can not cure a common viral infection with antibiotics.