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What is the right way to Why does taking take ? Antibiotics antibiotics lead to If you need antibiotics, take them resistance? exactly as prescribed. Aren’t Always Any time antibiotics are used, they can cause Improving the way healthcare professionals the Answer. side effects and lead to antibiotic resistance. prescribe antibiotics, and the way we take Antibiotic resistance is one of the most urgent antibiotics, helps keep us healthy now, helps threats to the public’s health. Always remember: fight antibiotic resistance, and ensures that these life-saving will be available for 1. Antibiotic resistance does not mean the future generations. body is becoming resistant to antibiotics; it is that have become resistant to the Talk with your doctor if you have any questions antibiotics designed to kill them. about your antibiotics, or if you develop any 2. When bacteria become resistant, antibiotics side effects, especially , since that could cannot fight them, and the bacteria multiply. be Clostridium difficile (also called C. 3. Some resistant bacteria can be harder to treat difficile or C. diff), which needs to be treated. C. and can spread to other people. diff can lead to severe colon damage and death. What are the side effects?

Common side effects range from minor to very Each year in the United severe health problems and can include: States, at least 2 million • Rash • Dizziness people get infected • with antibiotic-resistant • Diarrhea bacteria. At least 23,000 • More serious side effects can include: people die as a result. • Clostridium difficile infection • Severe and life-threatening allergic reactions

To learn more about antibiotic prescribing and use, visit www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use. Why is it important to What do antibiotics treat? How can I stay healthy?

Be Antibiotics Aware? Antibiotics are only needed for treating certain You can stay healthy and keep others healthy by: infections caused by bacteria. Antibiotics are Antibiotics save lives. When a patient needs • Cleaning hands critical tools for treating common infections, antibiotics, the benefits outweigh the risks of such as , and for life-threatening • Covering side effects or antibiotic resistance. conditions including , the body’s extreme • Staying home when sick When antibiotics aren’t needed, they won’t response to an infection. • Getting recommended , for the flu, for help you, and the side effects could still hurt example you. Reactions from antibiotics cause 1 out of What don’t antibiotics Talk to your doctor or nurse about steps you can 5 -related visits to the emergency treat? take to prevent infections. department. Antibiotics do not work on , such as colds and flu, or runny noses, even if the mucus is thick, yellow or green. Antibiotics also In children, reactions won’t help some common bacterial infections including most cases of , many sinus from antibiotics are the infections, and some ear infections. most common cause of medication-related emergency department visits.