Are you contributing to antibiotic resistance?

When your symptoms start to improve, it’s tempting to stop taking your prescription antibiotic. Yet in doing so, you may be unknowingly contributing to a public health crisis.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 2.8 million people in the United States contract antibiotic-resistant infections each year, resulting in more than 35,000 deaths. A study published in “The Lancet” projects that antibiotic resistance will cause 10 million deaths annually by 2050 if trends continue.

Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria evolve and are able to survive exposure to antibiotics that would normally kill them or stop your infection from progressing. That’s why you should take your antibiotics exactly as prescribed.

“When antibiotics are used inappropriately, such as not completing the full course of your prescribed medication, some bacteria survive and multiply, passing on resistant traits to future generations,” explains Dr. Rizwan Mahmood, an internal medicine physician at Advocate Health Care.

Additionally, using an old, unfinished antibiotic or somebody else’s prescription to treat an illness can further antibiotic resistance. Antibiotics should only be taken under the supervision of a health care provider.

“Never take an antibiotic prescribed to someone else,” cautions Dr. Mahmood. “Not only is this dangerous when it comes to allergies and drug interactions, but it also can be unnecessary for your illness and cause antibiotic resistance.”

It’s best practice to avoid taking antibiotics for trivial conditions since it will make treating future, more severe infections more difficult. However, common bacterial infections that often require an antibiotic include a urinary tract infection, pneumonia or food poisoning.

Antibiotics do not treat viral infections, such as the common cold, flu and COVID, where symptoms typically improve over the course of a few days or with quality, supportive care, if needed.

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