Antibiotics

• Antibiotics


  Drugs that kill infected bacteria inside the human body without harming body cells
• Antibiotics mean that most bacterial diseases are treatable
• Antibiotic resistance


  Certain antibiotics are no longer effective against certain bacteria because antibiotics have been overused, causing the bacteria to evolve and become resistant
• Antibiotic resistance is a serious problem, as it may make bacterial diseases very difficult to treat in the future
• Doctors are careful when prescribing antibiotics, using specific antibiotics to treat specific bacteria
• Antibiotics cannot kill viruses, so doctors will not prescribe them for conditions caused by viruses
• Painkillers


  Drugs that treat the symptoms of a disease by relieving pain, but do not kill pathogens or treat the disease itself
• Viruses live and reproduce inside human cells, making it difficult to develop drugs that kill viruses without also damaging the body's tissues