When a healthcare professional diagnoses a patient with an illness, many times they may prescribe one of two popular drugs. Antivirals and antibiotics are both powerful medications that help your body fight infections. But many people don’t realize they are not interchangeable. In fact, taking the wrong medicine will not treat your illness, could cause harm and can also lead to antibiotic resistance. So, it is important to understand which type of infection they treat, as using incorrectly can have dangerous consequences. What both these medications have in common is that they should be prescribed by your healthcare provider and always taken exactly as directed.
What is Antibiotic Resistance?
When Should You Take Antibiotics?
Antibiotics help your immune system fight off bacterial infections, with some antibiotic medicines able to treat a few different kinds of bacterial infections. They have no effect against viral infections like a cold or flu. Some bacterial infections that can be treated with antibiotics include:
- Strep throat
- Whooping cough
- Bacterial pneumonia
- Bacterial sinus infections
- Staph infections
Sometimes the more common bacterial infections, like sinus infections, can resolve on their own. But if you still have symptoms after a few weeks, you should consult your healthcare provider.
Antibiotics are very effective at protecting people from serious illness by easing symptoms, speeding up recovery and preventing the spread of the infection. They work by killing bacteria or stopping them from multiplying. Antibiotics can be administered as oral medication, injections or intravenously.
Unfortunately, sometimes antibiotics come with side effects. The most common include diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, yeast infections or rash. If you experience a severe or life-threatening reaction you should contact your healthcare provider.
Most people will use antibiotics at some point in their lives, but it is so important to take them as directed. This means taking the total course of treatment even if you start to feel better. It also means never using old antibiotics or someone else’s prescription as these medications are specifically tailored to each person’s need and if taken unauthorized can lead to antibiotic resistance and other health problems.
When Should You Take Antivirals?
Antivirals treat and prevent viral infections, with each antiviral created to treat only one specific virus. They are not helpful against bacterial infections. Viral infections that antivirals can treat include:
Antivirals help your body fight viral infections in one of three ways; by blocking receptors so viruses can’t bind to healthy cells, boosting your immune system or lowering the viral load in your body. By doing this, the medication can ease the severity of symptoms and shorten the length of your illness. They can also lower the risk of spreading the infection to others. Antivirals for COVID-19 and flu should be taken as soon as symptoms begin. Be sure to call your healthcare provider especially if you are at increased risk of becoming very sick.
Most antivirals are oral drugs, but they can also be given as eye drops, inhalers, injections, IV infusion or topical ointments. They are very safe if you take them as prescribed, but like all medications, they are not without side effects. Some common side effects include headache, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, skin rash or muscle or joint pain. Just like with antibiotics, you should never skip doses or stop taking an antiviral medication early, even if you are having side effects, because it can allow the virus to adapt and then the medication will no longer be effective. Consult your doctor if you have extreme side effects to figure out the best way to transition off the medication. You should tell your healthcare provider if you are taking other medications, however, to ensure that the antiviral does not interact with any other prescription.
WARNING! Only Take as Directed
According to the CDC, over 1.5 million people in the U.S. visit emergency departments each year due to adverse drug events, including improper medication use, resulting in nearly 500,000 requiring hospitalizations. Always consult a doctor before using prescription medication.
Learn more about what treatment is right for you by visiting our lung disease pages on Lung.org.
Blog last updated: December 9, 2024
