At this time of year, many of us pick up a nasty bug and, because we feel so low, the temptation is to ask our GPs for antibiotics in the hope we’ll feel better quickly. However, not all illnesses should be treated with them, and doing so is putting our future health at risk. Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is becoming more widespread because we’re using too many of them, particularly taking them for viral infections, such as the common cold, which don’t respond to them. One in three people in England alone take at least one course of antibiotics each year.
As many as half of all patients with a cough or cold are prescribed antibiotics, even though they’re unlikely to help. GPs have a very short time with each patient and limited resources, so they can’t test every one to see if antibiotics are, in fact, the right treatment; plus, there’s an expectation among patients that they’re needed for us to get better.
The fact is, for most of us, our immune systems are pretty strong and we can get better by ourselves. Even minor bacterial infections, such as sinusitis, ear infections and coughs, will clear up without antibiotics if we’re otherwise healthy and our immune systems aren’t compromised by age or an underlying condition.