What is better for your immune system, antibiotics or getting over something yourself?
Tuesday, May 11th, 2010 at
6:13 am
I always try to get over colds and flus on my own,even when they get quite bad. I figure it’ll make my immune system stronger than wimping out and going for antibiotics. Am I wrong?
Filed under: Alternative Medicine
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Antibiotics will not help a cold or flu or other virus anyway.
As for the bacterial illness that will respond to antibiotics, my general rule it to avoid antibiotics unless they are really necessary. In most cases you can get well without them. The reason is not so much to benefit the immune system, as to avoid developing antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The less you can use antibiotics the better, within reason.
Also, antibiotics can upset the balance of bacteria in in the gut, which can, in some cases, cause a lot of trouble.
Also, there is always the possibility of developing an allergy to an antibiotic if you use it repeatedly.
Your immune system will probably recognise the infection either way. If your immune system can deal with it on it’s own it is preferable over using anti biotics though, as they will wipe out all ‘good’ bacteria in your body, leaving the way open to any which are not affected by it.
If we use antibiotics for everything, we eventually become resistant to the meds. I generally try to avoid them and recover on my own also.
antibiotics dont work on viruses period.
so they would be useless on things like the common cold.
antibiotics work to fight against bacteria (biotic = living)
if you have a small bacterial infection, its better to get over it yourself, as antibiotics are like dropping a bomb into your body – they kill ALL bacteria pretty much…
but if it is more serious, definetly opt for antibiotics because they work!!
careful not to use antibiotics too often, because bacteria replicate faster, and can adapt, thereby developing resistance
thats why people say that it is better to avoid drugs if you can
hope that helps!!
If you are asking specifically about colds and flu, you are correct in not taking antibiotics. Antibiotics are necessary to cure bacterial infections, such as urinary tract infections and strep throat, but antibiotics have no effect on viruses such as cold and flu. You could take all the antibiotics in the world when you have the flu, and they would have no effect on the flu, but they could effect how your body deals with bacterial infections and antibiotics in the future (create resistance). You should NEVER take antibiotics for viral infections such as cold or flu, but you NEED antibiotics to cure bacterial infections.