Antibiotics not the only answer

Dear Dr. Donya,

I'm tired of going to the doctor when I'm sick and being told that I have a virus and that I should just go home and wait it out.

Why don't doctors at least try a broad-spectrum antibiotic to see if it helps?

-- Mel

Dear Mel,

The practical reason for this is: antibiotics can effectively treat most bacterial infections by interfering with a key process that keeps the bacteria alive.

But antibiotics can't affect viral infections because viruses are very different from bacteria. This is one reason why antibiotics can't kill viruses the same way they can kill bacteria. It is very important that you don't use antibiotics unless you have a bacterial infection.

The overuse of antibiotics has contributed to an increase in the number and severity of drug-resistant bacterial infections. Also, antibiotics may cause side effects such as rashes, diarrhea and nausea.

I do understand that when you are sick, you want to feel better. Doctors want to help but sometimes that is not possible. The doctor may be able to identify the likely source of the illness by signs and symptoms and by the results of a physical exam, and will try to establish whether the source is bacterial or viral.

In some cases, lab tests can help identify the cause but most of them cannot.

-- Dr. Donya