Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections, not viral infections. Viruses are different from bacteria and antibiotics are not effective against viruses. Using antibiotics inappropriately can lead to antibiotic resistance, which reduces the effectiveness of antibiotics for treating bacterial infections in the future. Additionally, taking antibiotics when they are not needed can also cause side effects and increase the risk of developing infections that are resistant to antibiotics. Therefore, it is important for doctors to properly diagnose the cause of an infection before prescribing antibiotics.
