In the age of modern medicine, antibiotics have saved millions of lives. They are powerful tools designed to treat bacterial infections from pneumonia to urinary tract infections.
But what happens when these lifesaving drugs stop working? That’s the growing reality of antibiotic resistance, a global health crisis fueled in part by a common misunderstanding: the belief that antibiotics are always the answer.
1. What is Antibiotic Resistance?
Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria evolve and become resistant to the antibiotics used to kill them. This means common infections that were once easy to treat may become dangerous again. Infections last longer, become harder to treat, and can even lead to serious complications or death.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), antibiotic resistance is one of the top 10 global public health threats. In Europe alone, over 35,000 deaths per year are attributed to resistant bacterial infections.
The Review on Antimicrobial Resistance estimated 700 000 deaths in 2014 attributable to resistance to six pathogens: HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, S aureus, E coli, and K pneumoniae; and estimated 670 000 deaths attributable to resistance to those pathogens – tuberculosis, S aureus, E coli, and K pneumoniae – in 2019.
2. Antibiotics are not always the answer
The campaign “Antibiotics are not automatic” (first launched in France as “Les antibiotiques, c’est pas automatique”) is a reminder that antibiotics should not be prescribed for every infection, especially viral infections like the common cold, flu, sore throat (except strep), or most coughs. Antibiotics do not kill viruses. Using them inappropriately doesn’t help recovery and it causes harm in the long run.
In fact, unnecessary use of antibiotics accelerates resistance, harms your gut microbiome, and increases side effects such as diarrhea, allergic reactions, and fungal infections.
3. Why this matters for you and your family
You may think: “What’s the harm if I take antibiotics just in case?” The truth is, each time we use antibiotics unnecessarily, we give bacteria a chance to learn how to resist them.
This creates “superbugs” that no longer respond to treatment. This means surgeries, cancer treatments, and even childbirth, procedures that rely on antibiotics to prevent infection, become much riskier.
4. When Antibiotics are necessary?
There are times when antibiotics are essential and life-saving.
Examples include:
- Bacterial pneumonia
- Strep throat (confirmed by testing)
- Skin infections with signs of spreading
- Certain urinary tract infections
- Sepsis
But the decision to prescribe antibiotics should always be made by a healthcare professional, based on clear clinical evidence.
5. A Word about children
Children are often given antibiotics unnecessarily for ear infections, sore throats, and colds. But studies show that in many cases, these illnesses resolve on their own with rest, hydration, and over-the-counter symptom relief.
As parents, asking the doctor, “Is this infection viral or bacterial?” or “Can we wait and see?” helps reduce unnecessary antibiotic use.
6. What you can do
- Don’t pressure your doctor for antibiotics. Trust their decision.
- Never self-medicate with leftover antibiotics or share them with others.
- Follow prescriptions (dosage, frequency and duration) exactly when antibiotics are necessary: don’t stop early even if you feel better.
- Stay up to date on vaccines, which prevent infections and reduce the need for antibiotics.
- Practice good hygiene to avoid infections in the first place (handwashing, covering your mouth when coughing, etc.).
- Do not share your antibiotics with others.
- Do not save them for later. Taking the wrong medicine for a future illness may delay correct treatment and can cause severe side effects.
- Do not take antibiotics prescribed for someone else. This may delay the best treatment for you, make you even sicker or cause side effects.
7. A shared responsibility
Antibiotic resistance is not just a medical issue; it’s a societal one. Doctors and patients all have a role to play.
By using antibiotics responsibly, we help preserve their effectiveness for future generations.
8. References
- World Health Organization (WHO) – Antibiotic Resistance
- ECDC (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control)
- CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) – pdf
Don’t hesitate to consult the other health blogs.
