Antibiotics are no longer routinely used to treat infections because:
- many infections are caused by viruses, so antibiotics are not effective
- antibiotics are often unlikely to speed up the healing process and can cause side effects
- the more antibiotics are used to treat trivial conditions, the more likely they are to become ineffective for treating more serious conditions
Both the NHS and health organisations across the world are trying to reduce the use of antibiotics, especially for health problems that are not serious.
Please visit the NHS website here for further information on antibiotic overuse and resistance.
