antibiotics and painkillers

• What are antibiotics?

  Drugs developed to destroy infectious bacteria inside the body. The first antibiotic discovered was penicillin in the 1940's.
• Do antibiotics work on all pathogens?

  Antibiotics only kill bacteria. They can't kill viral pathogens because the virus is inside body cells where the antibiotic can't reach.
• Is there more than one type of antibiotic?

  There are many types. It is important that specific types of bacteria are treated with specific antibiotics.
• Do all antibiotics work well?

  No, lots of antibiotics have become less useful as bacteria have evolved resistant strains. The antibiotics don't work on resistant bacteria.