GET SMART Antibiotics are strong medicines but they

							GET SMART...
• Antibiotics are strong medicines,
  but they don’t cure everything.
• When not used correctly, antibiotics
  can actually be harmful to your health.
• Antibiotics can cure most bacterial
  infections. Antibiotics cannot cure
  viral illnesses.                                 USE ANTIBIOTICS WISELY
• Antibiotics kill bacteria – not viruses.
                                             Talk with your doctor or health care
• When you are sick, antibiotics are
  not always the answer.                      provider about the right medicines              Know When Antibiotics Work
                                                       for your health.




                                                                                              Cold or Flu.
                                                                                            Antibiotics Don’t
                                                                                             Work for You.



                                               For more information, see the Centers for
                                              Disease Control and Prevention Web site at:
                                              www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/community
          hen you feel sick, you want              Antibiotics Aren’t Always                           Commonly Asked
W         to feel better fast. But
          antibiotics aren’t the answer
for every illness. This brochure can
                                                   the Answer
                                                   Most illnesses are caused by two kinds of           Questions:
help you know when antibiotics work –              germs: bacteria and viruses. Antibiotics can
and when they won’t. For more                      cure bacterial infections – not viral infections.   How Do I Know if I Have a Viral




                                                                                                       ?
information, talk to your doctor or visit          Bacteria cause strep throat, some pneumonia         Illness or a Bacterial Infection?
www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/community.              and sinus infections. Antibiotics can work.
                                                                                                       Ask your doctor or health care provider and
                                                   Viruses cause the common cold, most                 follow his or her advice on what to do about
The Risk: Bacteria                                 coughs and the flu. Antibiotics don’t work.         your illness.
Becomes Resistant                                  Using antibiotics for a virus:                      Remember, colds are caused by viruses and
What’s the harm in taking antibiotics              • Will NOT cure the infection                       should not be treated with antibiotics.
anytime? Using antibiotics when they are
                                                   • Will NOT help you feel better
not needed causes some bacteria to become
resistant to the antibiotic.                       • Will NOT keep others from catching                Won’t an Antibiotic Help Me
These resistant bacteria are stronger and
                                                     your illness                                      Feel Better Quicker so That I
harder to kill. They can stay in your body                                                             Can Get Back to Work When
and can cause severe illnesses that cannot be                                                          I Get a Cold or Flu?
cured with antibiotic medicines. A cure for                  Protect Yourself
                                                                                                       No, antibiotics do nothing to help a viral
resistant bacteria may require stronger                     With the Best Care                         illness. They will not help you feel better
treatment – and possibly a stay in the hospital.                                                       sooner. Ask your doctor or health care
To avoid the threat of antibiotic-resistant                                                            provider what other treatments are available
infections, the Centers for Disease Control                                                            to treat your symptoms.
and Prevention (CDC) recommends that
you avoid taking unnecessary
                                                       ou should not use antibiotics to treat the
antibiotics.
                                                   Y   common cold or the flu.
                                                   If antibiotics are prescribed for you to treat
                                                   a bacterial infection – such as strep throat –
                                                   be sure to take all of the medicine. Only
                                                   using part of the prescription means that
                                                   only part of the infection has been treated.
                                                   Not finishing the medicine can cause
                                                   resistant bacteria to develop.
                                                              Talk to Your Doctor
                                                           or Nurse to Learn More