Antibiotics and their overuse are increasing resistance in bacteria, making them harder to kill and making us sick more often as a result. With cold and flu season right around the corner, it is important to stay healthy and help prevent the spread of diseases as we transition from summer to winter. Antibiotics are commonly used to treat infections by bacteria. However, not all diseases are caused by bacteria. The common cold and flu are viral infections and not bacterial infections. These illnesses can’t be killed by antibiotics because the cause of the symptoms is not alive in the first place. Antibiotics are still asked for by many patients, and given out despite not being effective in treating these diseases. Instead of treating the illness, these drugs are helping bacteria build a resistance to them so they are less effective in the future.

Taking antibiotics at an inappropriate time is the leading cause of antibiotic resistance. This is an increasing problem because it reduces the effectiveness of antibiotics in general. Since Alexander Fleming discovered antibiotics in 1928, bacteria are more resistant to these drugs, and harder to kill. Antibiotic resistance is a problem because it will make it so that eventually we will not be able to kill any bacteria with these drugs. As we use more of these drugs, the bacteria that are susceptible to them will die off, and those that do not die will be able to share their resistance with others. Eventually this will give rise to bacteria that are resistant to all of our drugs, making the treatment of serious diseases a lot harder. However, there are some ways to help prevent the overuse of antibiotics.

When you get sick, it is important to know what illness you are fighting. This is why it is important to see a doctor to see how serious it is. Some illnesses are bacterial and can be treated using antibiotics, such as a sinus infection, strep throat or an ear infection. In these instances, it is important to get antibiotics and take the complete medication prescribed. It is also important to NOT take any antibiotics that are left over from a previous prescription, or that were prescribed to someone else. When not taken in complete doses, the medicine helps the bacteria gain resistances, instead of helping you fight the infection.

If you have a viral infection instead, such as a cold or flu, then it is important that you do not take antibiotics. For these illnesses, only the symptoms can be treated. Instead of asking for an antibiotic, you can get stronger cough medicine or pain reliever to treat the symptoms. Instead of focusing on treating this illness, it is better to focus on prevention. Using hand sanitizer is a good way to kill bacteria without the use of antibiotics. Killing them often is a good way to stop the spread. Washing hands often is also an effective way of killing bacteria early and often. This winter, I hope these tips help in staying healthy to keep stamina up for finals.