Antibiotics and Treatment of Viral Infections: Why Antibiotics Cannot Treat Viral Diseases
Overview
This paper explains why antibiotics are ineffective for treating viral infections and discusses the dangers of antibiotic misuse, including antibiotic resistance. The paper argues that antibiotics should only be used for bacterial infections and presents natural and technological alternatives to antibiotic treatment.
What this essay covers
- Why antibiotics cannot be used to treat viral diseases - explains the fundamental difference between bacterial and viral infections and the risks of unnecessary antibiotic use
- Alternatives to antibiotics - discusses natural alternatives such as garlic, honey, and ginger, as well as emerging technological solutions including antibodies, bacteriophages, and probiotics
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Antibiotics and Treatment of Viral Infections
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Antibiotics and Treatment of Viral Infections
Why antibiotics cannot be used to treat viral diseases
Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections. Viral infections do not have specific treatments apart from taking agents that will work alongside your immune system to reduce viral infections ("Viral Infections - Why Don't Antibiotics Kill Viruses? - Drugs.com", 2020). It means that antibiotics do not treat viral diseases. Using antibiotics when one is sick from a viral infection does not help because viruses cannot be killed by antibiotics. However, too many antibiotics in the body only put you in danger of resisting treatment in case of future bacterial infection ("Antibiotics: Uses, resistance, and side effects", 2020). Too many antibiotics in the body make the bacteria resistant to it, meaning you would not use antibiotics to treat the bacterial infection since it can no longer kill it. Antibiotics have their side effects that include diarrhea, stomach upsets, and even nausea that will add to the pain that you are already having in your throat. It is only advisable to use antibiotics whenever you are diagnosed with a bacterial infection because it is the right treatment.
Alternatives to antibioticsS
There are alternatives that you can use in place of antibiotics that will help the body health, and at the same time, help in fighting foreign organisms in the body. Most of these alternatives to antibiotics are natural substances that do not contain chemicals.