Flu should i take antibiotics

Other conditions may be caused by either bacteria or viruses, and it can be hard to tell the difference. If you develop pneumonia, pink-eye or a urinary tract infection, for instance, your doctor may test for bacteria before recommending antibiotics. Will antibiotics help?

Most illnesses that send people to their doctor are caused by viruses or allergies. Typically, you just have to let a virus run its course. Knecht explains.

This can happen as a result of overuse, described above, or misuse, as when a patient with strep throat misses doses of their antibiotics or stops taking their pills once they feel better. Then, if those germs are passed to someone else, the same antibiotic will be less effective. Other superbugs cause hard-to-treat forms of pneumonia, tuberculosis, gonorrhea and UTIs. Every year, 2 million Americans fall ill with antibiotic-resistant infections.

Superbugs take more time and money to treat. Today, a simple sore throat or UTI might inconvenience you for a week, until your inexpensive generic antibiotics kick in. Knecht says. Aetna is working to educate doctors about the dangers of overprescribing antibiotics for common complaints like acute bronchitis, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC and state Departments of Health.

In , the initiative will be expanding to additional states. But we need your help. You can fight the rise of antibiotic-resistant superbugs by asking the right questions and taking your medication as directed. Knecht urges. We need to elevate their status and preserve this precious resource. Links to various non-Aetna sites are provided for your convenience only. Aetna Inc. The information you will be accessing is provided by another organization or vendor.

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Contact us Help. You are here: Home News and events Why antibiotics can't be used to treat your cold or flu. Why antibiotics can't be used to treat your cold or flu Monday 5 June Taking antibiotics when you don't need them can help antibiotic resistant bacteria to evolve. How antibiotics work Antibiotics were discovered by a scientist called Alexander Fleming in , and are widely credited as one of the most important medical discoveries in human history.

How can we treat a cold or flu virus? If you have a cold or the flu, during this time you might experience symptoms like: a runny or blocked nose sore throat headache fever cough and muscle aches.

Employment Job search Work for us Rural and remote Overseas applications Clinical placements and work experience Training and professional development Employment conditions. The flu is a common respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. In fact, in many cases, taking antibiotics for the flu can make you sicker or make your sickness last longer. Experts agree that the best way to prevent the flu is to get vaccinated every year. You should also make sure to cover your sneeze or cough, and wash your hands with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

If you do get sick with a fever and flu-like symptoms, stay home until your symptoms go away — and encourage others to do the same. If your symptoms become severe, make sure to see your doctor or use one of our online or walk-in options for care. Watch to see what happens to these germs when we take too many antibiotics. At Atrium Health, we spread antibiotic education to our doctors through our Antimicrobial Support Network and patient care collaborative, which both work with doctors to make sure patients are prescribed the most appropriate antibiotics.

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