Because antibiotics are only effective against bacterial infections, and because the flu is caused by a virus, the use of these drugs does not provide any benefit in treating the flu .
Not only. In some respects, taking antibiotics for wrong reasons can also have important side effects : first of all, because it also kills the good bacteria (commensals and symbiotics) that populate the intestine, causing diarrhea problems in many cases; secondly because it favors the selection of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
It means that these microorganisms "develop" the ability to resist the action of the drug; can thus access that antibiotics no longer work right in time of need. This risk affects not only the individual, but also other people who will subsequently be infected by these resistant bacteria.
Yet there are cases of flu where taking antibiotics becomes essential .
For example, during the Spanish flu pandemic (1918-1920, 75 million victims worldwide), the greatest number of deaths was caused by the absence of antibiotics for the treatment of bacterial complications. Consider, in fact, that an organism strongly weakened by the flu virus is more exposed to the attack of bacteria; not surprisingly, doctors talk about bacterial over-infections . For example, the flu and cold viruses damage the mucous membranes of the airways and paralyze vibrating eyelashes; in this way they pave the way for the penetration of microbes responsible for bacterial pneumonia.
In the case of complications of the flu, therefore, the use of antibiotics can be fundamental. It is therefore advisable to take antibiotics only if prescribed by the doctor, scrupulously following his instructions on how to use them.
