Antibiotics are medicines that fight bacterial infections. They work by killing bacteria or stopping them from growing and multiplying. They have been around since the early 1900s and have dramatically improved health, making surgery safer and adding 23 years to life expectancy. However, they don’t work against viral infections such as the flu or colds and can make you feel tired. Using antibiotics too often or for too long can also make bacteria resistant to them, which makes it harder to treat future infections.
You can take most antibiotics orally (by mouth) as tablets, capsules, or liquids. You can also put some types of antibiotics on your skin as cream, ointment, spray, or eye drops. For very serious infections, you may need to have them injected orally or intravenously. Most antibiotics work well against a wide range of bacteria, but some are more specific and target only certain types. Examples of these are fluoroquinolones and some tetracyclines.
If you miss a dose of antibiotics, take it as soon as you remember. But don’t take 2 doses at once to make up for a missed one, as this increases your risk of side effects. If you have questions, check the patient information leaflet that came with your medicine or ask your pharmacist or GP.
Antibiotics can cause side effects, such as dizziness or stomach upset. But the good news is that most of them are mild and pass quickly once you finish your course of treatment.
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