As parents, we want to help our children when they have a cold or the flu.
We'll do whatever we can to help them feel better and get us all back to our normal routines.
So a lot of us ask our doctors for antibiotics, to have it on hand, just in case, because we think it will help.
But it won't if your child has a cold or the flu.
Here are the facts about antibiotics.
Antibiotics kill bacteria. But colds and the flu are caused by viruses.
Antibiotics don't work on viruses.
If you give an antibiotic to your child with a cold or the flu, it won't cure the illness or help your child feel better.
Not all bacteria are bad.
There are good bacteria in your digestive system that help keep it in balance.
If you give your child an antibiotic, it could wipe out a lot of those good bacteria, and that can cause side effects like stomach cramps, nausea, and diarrhea.
So your child might actually feel worse instead of better.
Overusing antibiotics can be harmful, because if we give kids antibiotics when they don't need them, the medicines may not work when they do need them.
When your child takes an antibiotic, it will kill most of the bacteria, but a few tougher ones may survive and multiply, and the antibiotic can't kill them.
Those resistant bacteria can lead to serious infections that are harder to treat, so the next time your child really needs an antibiotic, it might not work.
Okay, so we know the facts.
But we still have sick kids. So what can you do?
There's a lot you can do when children have a cold or the flu.
You can help them get rest, offer plenty of fluids, maybe use a humidifier, and give them time to get better.
Antibiotics won't cure a viral infection like a cold or the flu.
It just has to run its course.
So let's be careful and use antibiotics only for what they're meant to do, and that's treating bacterial infections.