Doctors across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent are urging people to be understanding if they’re not prescribed antibiotics this winter.
Most of the infections we pick up over the winter are caused by viruses and not by bacteria, and though antibiotics are great at fighting bacterial infections, the don’t work on viruses.
Dr Shammy Noor, GP in Lichfield and Chair of South East Staffordshire and Seisdon Peninsula Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said: “Viruses are ultimately destroyed by our body’s own immune system, so by taking antibiotics we could actually harm our body’s natural response to fight common viruses and impact our recovery.
“Antibiotics also have side effects like diarrhoea and vomiting, and therefore not only will they not cure the underlying problem, but they could make us feel worse.”
However, there will be times when antibiotics are the right treatment for certain conditions and if this is the case, it’s important to take the full course as prescribed.
Dr Noor added: “When you start a course of antibiotics it works on killing the bacteria and after two or three days most of the bacteria die, and you start to feel better. But the strongest bacteria will survive and remain in your body.
“If you stop taking the medication because you’re feeling better, the bacteria which survived the initial dose will re-emerge, making you ill again.
“Furthermore, these bacteria may well turn out to be resistant in the future. You’ve probably heard of MRSA, which is a bacterial infection that is now resistant to antibiotics.”
For advice on conditions like coughs, colds and sore throats, see the Self Care page on your local CCG website; https://www.northstaffsccg.nhs.uk/your-services/over-the-counter-medicines-self-care
