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Not at all. Colds are caused by viruses. Antibiotics will only help with bacterial infections.
People often think or viruses and bacteria to be one in the same, but they couldn't be more different. While bacteria are actually alive, single-celled organisms, viruses are not technically alive. And you can't exactly kill something that isn't alive, now, can you?
There are antivirals that keep the virus from destroying your cells, but not many of them work well enough to be of any benefit. Your body knows how to fight off a virus better than any medicine.
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
Wiki User
∙ 10y agoNo. A cold is caused by a virus and antibiotics are for the treatment of bacterial infections. Using antibiotics can produce resistant strains of bacteria.
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∙ 9y agoAdd your answer:
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Does azithromycin help with a severe cold or flu?
No. Antibiotics do not help viral infections such as the cold or flu. Antibiotics are specifically for helping with treatment of bacterial infections or for preventing bacterial infections and do nothing to an inanimate virus.
Is bacteria used to make foods helpful or harmful?
Both, there are good bacteria to help make you better and there are bad bacteria to make you sick. That is where the common cold comes from.
What best describes a rhinovirus?
a virus that causes the common cold
If a patient has measles why would antibiotics not work?
Antibiotics can only work against bacterium, whereas measles are caused by a virus.
Why do researchers need to constantly develop new types of antibiotics?
Because people (including doctors) keep using antibiotics for inappropriate purposes, including treatment of the common cold, which is a virus. Viruses are not affected by antibiotics. Constant exposure to antibiotics in the environment has resulted in mutations of bacteria so that they are antibiotic resistant. Thus, it is necessary to continue to develop new antibiotics to deal with these new super-bacteria. It should be said that the drug companies themselves are largely responsible for this, as they constantly lobby to allow antibiotics to be used unnecessarily, such as in treatment of poultry and other animals that are to be slaughtered for meat. This saves money, but it also releases huge amounts of drugs into the environment. (See above for results) The pharmaceutical giants thus get richer in two ways: selling the old drugs and developing and marketing new ones.
Why are antibiotics helpful for treating the common cold?
No antibiotic has ever helped to cure the cold. Cold or common cold is caused by virus infection. Antibiotics should not be used to treat the cold. That should be taken as crime against humanity to use antibiotics to treat the cold.
Why are anti biotics are unhelpful for treating a common cold?
Because antibiotics treat bacterial infections not viral. There are some viral colds like the flu in which antibiotics will work.
Why antibiotics are not effective against cold and flu?
The common cold, like influenza, is a viral infection. Although innoculations can help prevent the flu, antibiotics (which kill bacteria) are only effective in treating bacterial infections (such as pneumonia) that may result.
Are antibiotics effective to shorten the duration of a cold or flu?
No, antibiotics are not the right medication for a cold. Antibiotics are for treating bacterial infections. The common cold is caused by a virus, not bacteria, and will not be affected by antibiotics. There may be a situation where a doctor may prescribe antibiotics for a secondary bacterial infection after a cold or flu, but the cold itself can not be treated with antibiotics...it is a waste of money to use them for a cold and is also an unnecessary risk of adverse reactions or allergies to the antibiotics.
What Are effective at treating strep throat but not at treating colds?
Antibiotics - because a cold is a virus caused disease and antibiotics have no effect on a virus. However strep throat is caused by a bacterium and antibiotics do kill bacteria.
Why taking an antibiotic is not effective in the common cold?
viruses are not killed by antibiotics. -apex
You visited a doctor because you have bad cold What if your doctors prescribe medicines for you but not antibiotics Why not?
Antibiotics do not cure the common cold since the common cold is a viral illness. Antibiotics are for bacteria, not viruses, so it would not make sense for a physician to prescribe an antibiotic for a cold and would actually be irresponsible if the physician did this.
Why antibiotics wont help a viral sore throat or a common cold?
Antibiotics kill bacteria. They do not kill viruses.
What type of medicine is persrcibed by the doctor when you have a cold?
Doctors do not prescribe any medication for a common cold. The common cold is a viral condition and antibiotics should not be prescribed for it.
Is clindamycin good for chest cold?
If your health care professional prescribes it. But you should not take antibiotics without an examination or a prescription. There is still some risk in taking medicines like antibiotics when they are not really necessary to you by way of side effects, and to the community with creation of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. So, you should be sure that the congestion and cough are due to a bacterial infection or the antibiotic may be an unnecessary risk. These drugs are not effective for treating viruses, like the cold or flu, or allergies, which also can have similar symptoms. Only a health examination can determine what treatment is needed.
Why are antibiotics unhelpful for fighting a common cold?
B. Colds are caused by viruses, and antibiotics only kill bacteria
How do you treat a sulfa sensitive patient for cold?
Sulfa drugs are usually used to treat bacterial infections, not viral infections like a cold. So no sulfa drugs are needed for sulfa-sensitive patients with viral infections like the common cold or flu. There is no equivalent to antibiotics that are used to kill bacteria that are for treating viruses. Bacteria can be killed and antibiotics, like sulfa drugs, are what can do that. Viruses are not living organisms, so they can't be killed. They can be made inactive, but that is possible only when your immune system attacks and gets rid of them, there are no drugs to do that. See the related question below for more information about treating a cold.
