What are antibiotics? What precautions must be taken while taking antibiotics?

An antibiotic is a chemical substance produced by a living microorganism which can stop the growth of or kill some disease-producing bacteria and fungi.

Precautions that must be taken while taking antibiotics are:

• Antibiotics should be taken only on the advice of a qualified doctor.
• Patient must complete the course prescribed by the doctor. If antibiotics are taken when not needed or in wrong doses, it may make the drug less effective in subsequent infections.
• Also antibiotics taken unnecessarily may kill the beneficial bacteria in the body.
• Antibiotics should not be taken during cold and flu as they are not effective against it because these are caused by viruses and not bacteria.