2006-08-17 21:21:53 · 29 answers · asked by dominiquelaksmana 2 in Health ➔ Alternative Medicine
Anti-biotics do NOT kill viruses - they are useless against them. The over prescribing of them for virus related illnesses is part of what is causing the "resistance crisis" right now. Viruses require "antivirals" - drugs specifically targeted for affecting viruses. Viruses are DNA or RNA "genetic parasites". The anti-biotics are for bacteria, which are vastly bigger and more complex than viruses.
2006-08-17 21:38:17 · answer #1 · answered by Paul H 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A virus is "self-limiting" which means that it will only last for a week - 10 days and antibiotics won't do any good for it. Bacteria, on the other hand, can multiply indefinitely unless you use antibiotics. What kind of a teacher do you have anyway?
2006-08-18 06:16:22 · answer #2 · answered by Sassy OLD Broad 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Antibiotics are specifically for bacterial infections. Bacteria are single celled organisms. The antibiotic attacks their cell wall. It doesn't attack our cells because bacteria have different compounds/markers on their cell wall that the antibiotic attaches to. It destroys the cell and the body cleans it up. Viruses are not cells, they are little strands of DNA/RNA that via a capsule insert themselves into our cells and using our cells resources, replicate itself until there are so many of them inside the cell that it bursts. So, since antibiotics don't attack our cells, it cannot attack viruses.
2006-08-18 05:13:47 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
antibiotics do absolutely nothing for a virus. the virus has to take it's corse inorder for you to get rid of it. bacteria on the other hand can be taken care of with the proper antibiotic.
2006-08-18 04:25:46 · answer #4 · answered by viper 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Antibiotics exist for both bacteria (such as penicillin) and for viruses (acyclovir). Use Yahoo's excellent search engine and look up the Merck Manual for more info.
2006-08-18 09:40:00 · answer #5 · answered by Mad Roy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Being a mother, by experience i can tell u that antibiotics are for bacteria...
2006-08-18 04:27:55 · answer #6 · answered by ? 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
An antibiotic is a drug that kills or slows the growth of bacteria.
2006-08-18 04:27:04 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Germs and Bacteria only.
Anti virual drugs are used to treat a virus
2006-08-18 04:25:38 · answer #8 · answered by ? 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Antibiotics are for Bacteria , while antiviral are for viruses. Antibiotics are one class of antimicrobials. This antimicrobials also includes antifungal and anti parasitic drugs.
2006-08-18 05:06:58 · answer #9 · answered by jbernz16 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
bacteria.
There are anti-viral medications these days, They have one for herpes simplex 1 that causes chicken pox in the young and shingles in the older people.
A few months ago my doctor told me about it and prescribed me one. Anti-biotics will never ever kill a virus
2006-08-18 04:26:45 · answer #10 · answered by admiralgill 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋