Myth that antibiotics cure coughs and colds still rife

[dipsydoodle]

A quarter of people wrongly believe antibiotics work on most coughs and colds, a Health Protection Agency survey has found.

However antibiotics cannot treat viruses, which cause most respiratory tract infections.

The HPA poll of 1,800 people in England also found one in 10 people keep leftover antibiotics - and many would self-medicate next time they got ill.

A leading GP said antibiotics were not a "cure all".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15772727

[vidalarosa]

1. Myth that antibiotics cure coughs and colds still rife

I think it cures just the symptoms of coughs and colds, to make the person feel better. So I guess there's the common mistake of thinking that you are cured after the symptoms go away.

[rfranklin]

2. Antibiotics do not treat the symptoms either...

You are wasting money if you use them for colds in any way.

[trotsky]

3. You are absolutely correct.

And worse, anyone who uses them for colds is only contributing to their overuse and the creation of resistant strains.

[Dorian Gray]

4. Yep....

I've only been prescribed them when I've had bronchitis or a sinus infection. The problem arises when people assume that they have something worse because they are coughing, and then demand them. Many doctors prescribe them too easily and quickly. Probably to appease the patient demanding them.

[uppityperson]

6. They don't cure symptoms of coughs and colds. They do cure oppportunistic

bacterial infections though. But no, they don't "make the person feel better" by curing symptoms of coughs and colds. Time does that.

[LeftishBrit]

5. Our local pharmacy has adverts up about that..

With walking, talking antibiotic tablets telling people, 'A cold? You've come to the wrong person!' and pictures of rainy days, with the saying 'Under the weather because of a cold? I'm afraid antibiotics won't help'.

There are a *lot* of myths about treatments, some of them very bizarre. E.g. when I was a kid, my grandmother thought that sunshine was good for a cold, including the idea that sitting at the window looking out at the sunshine was good for a cold! And don't get me started on some of the weirder alternative medicines!

[HuckleB]

7. Since red herrings appear to be the order of the day...

what's the percentage of people who think homeopathy works on coughs and colds?

Just curious.

[SheilaT]

8. The human immune system is

designed to be challenged by various illnesses and to respond to them and get stronger. It's often a good idea to give the immune system a chance to do its job.

I have many times over the years gotten into arguments with people about antibiotics and colds. What really frosts me are the doctors, yes the DOCTORS who say it's easier to prescribe an antibiotic to some over-anxious patient, or over-anxious mother of a young child, than to explain to them why an antibiotic is not a good idea.