Got a lingering cough?
Pretty sure you have come down with bronchitis?
Is your head pounding from a sinus infection?
If you think a dose of antibiotics is just what you need to cure your ills, think again. In most of these cases, antibiotics won’t help at all.
We take too many antibiotics anyway. Usually, we should be taking ibuprofen instead. Most of our ailments are viral and will simply clear up on their own.
Most importantly, skipping the antibiotics can save you time and money.
It’s true that you can get common antibiotics for cheap or free at certain pharmacies if you have a prescription.
But to get that prescription, you first have to go to the doctor’s office.
You may have to wait in the waiting room for 30 minutes or more just to catch a five-minute visit from the doctor. And there are sick people in the waiting room.
If you didn’t have a serious bug when you went in, you might take one home with you when you leave. And you probably still have to hand over a co-payment if required by your insurance plan.
Coming down with bad bugs will knock you out of commission. How much is your time worth? You only have a limited amount of it. You can’t get any back, and you can’t make more.
If a Tylenol and some chicken soup will do, skip the antibiotics and skip the doctor’s office. You will probably be fine.
Don’t believe me? Then click this link for information straight from the CDC and Consumer Reports Health:
http://vitals.lifehacker.com/how-to-know-when-you-actually-need-antibiotics-1677768347