Dr Oz: Do Antibiotics Treat Viral Infections?
Dr. Oz is concerned about the health of our country because too many people are getting prescriptions for antibiotics that they do not need. Could we be headed toward an Antibiotic Apocalypse? This is important information you need before your next visit to the doctor’s office!
Dr Oz: Antibiotics For Bacterial vs Viral Infections
Dr Oz said we are all at great risk because too many people are taking antibiotic medication unnecessarily.
Dr. Oz said that most people take antibiotic medications and he is afraid because they are being misused and leading to dangerous, and even life-threatening illness. Dr. Brad Spellberg said that antibiotics are designed to kill bacteria so if you take one when you are sick with a virus you are exposing yourself to potential side effects of the drug without any hope that it will even help you get better. He explained this is not necessarily a problem if one person takes an antibiotic when they do not need to, but it becomes a huge concern when thousands of people do because it can then lead to a resistance to certain bacteria. Dr. Oz said that over 10 million prescriptions are given out annually for viral infections, which is a startling number especially since antibiotics do nothing to cure a viral infection. He warned against running to your doctor for a prescription when all you might have is a slight cough.
Dr Oz: What Is Antibiotic Resistance?
Dr. Brad Spellberg explained the definition of antibiotic resistance, which means doctors used to be able to treat and kill bacterial infections with medication, but the bacteria have since adapted and evolved preventing the medication’s ability from treating the illness caused by the bacteria.
Dr Oz: Do You Need an Antibiotic For a Cough?
Dr. Oz explained what happens when you take an antibiotic unnecessarily for a viral infection. He said it basically goes into your body and helps to treat your cough, or other minor symptom, but it also goes to other areas of your body and may even kill off good bacteria. He said you might begin to feel better, but the bigger problem comes a week, or a month, later when you get sick again and you’ve built up resistant bacteria which will prevent an antibiotic from working. Dr. Spellberg added the more doctors prescribe unnecessary antibiotics, the more it increases the potential for resistance to superbugs and the more frightening outcome will be that otherwise treatable viruses will suddenly turn fatal.
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