Think You Need an Antibiotic? You Might Not Get One for Your Cold!
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Have a cold? Fever? Sinus infection? Your primary-care provider might not give you a prescription for an antibiotic. Here's why.
In the past, antibiotics were commonly prescribed for many ailments, and sick patients were often reassured by having a prescription in hand. However, medicine is evolving, and antibiotics do not cure certain types of ailments and infections.
Overexposure to antibiotics over time can cause antibiotic resistance, a dangerous condition when these medications are needed. This can mean that when you truly need an antibiotic the treatment options available may be less effective or not work at all. In fact, reducing antibiotic resistance is now a national public health priority.
The CDC shared interesting data in 2022 about outpatient antibiotic prescriptions:
- U.S. outpatient providers prescribed 236.4 million antibiotic prescriptions, most often azithromycin and amoxicillin.
- These comprised seven prescriptions for every 10 people in the outpatient setting.
- At least 28 percent of these outpatient antibiotics prescriptions are unnecessary. Additional studies have found that, in some communities, up to 50 percent of antibiotic prescriptions are not appropriate.
The CDC estimates more than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur in the U.S. each year and result in approximately 35,000 deaths.
Bacteria vs. Virus
Some sicknesses are caused by bacteria, which generally calls for an antibiotic. Examples include strep throat, a urinary tract infection, or bacterial pneumonia. Viruses like the flu, norovirus and common cold are different, and antibiotics don't work against them. Usually, viral illnesses get better on their own.
When antibiotics are used too often or for the wrong reasons, they may not help when a real bacterial illness makes you sick. This makes bacterial infections more dangerous and harder to treat. This is a big reason why doctors are now more careful about when to prescribe antibiotics.
So, as a patient, what can you do?
- Ask questions: whether your provider does or doesn't prescribe an antibiotic, you should always feel free to ask why.
- Ask if your provider has alternative remedy suggestions to treat symptoms.
- Drink water, rest, eat well and take care of yourself.
- Do your best to avoid passing on your virus to others.
- Wash your hands often!
As we know very well, vaccines can protect against viruses like influenza, pertussis (whooping cough), certain types of pneumonia, coronaviruses and many other non-respiratory infections. Getting vaccinated can protect you, your family, and your community.
At CHP, we take the appropriate use of antibiotics very seriously as we keep in mind the best treatment options for each patient, family and for our community. Using evidence-based treatment guidelines, we recommend medications and non-prescription treatments based on the latest available science. We all try our best to communicate when antibiotics are, or are not, needed, but if you still have questions, please ask.
While we all want quick relief when we are feeling sick, our medical team strives to consider what is the best medical treatment in both the short and long term.
By using antibiotics wisely, we can help keep them working for everyone. Let's all do our part to fight antibiotic resistance and stay healthy!
Dr. Lara Setti is a primary-care physician at CHP Great Barrington Health Center. She also holds a master's degree in public health.
Tags: CHP, public health,
