A bitter pill to swallow?

CAMILLA FOSTER FINDS OUT IF YOU SHOULD TAKE ANTIBIOTICS FOR A COLD AND WHAT THE IMPACT OF DOING SO MIGHT BE

- 

WHEN you're dealing with a nasty cold that won’t go away, antibiotics might seem like a quick fix.

Yet a recent survey of around 400 pharmacists by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) shows that 79% said they turn down requests for antibiotics to treat minor illnesses like colds at least once a day.

In addition, a quarter said patients frequently return partially used antibiotics, while 37% were aware of patients regularly hoarding antibiotics for a later date.

With this in mind, we want to know if you should take antibiotics for a cold - and are there any potential consequences of doing this?

What is the common cold and what causes it?

“The common cold is a viral infection that primarily affects the upper respiratory tract and it’s caused by various viruses, with rhinoviruses being the most common,” says Dr Naveed Asif, GP at The London General Practice.

“Colds are highly contagious and can spread through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes, or by touching contaminated surfaces and then touching the face.”

Do antibiotics work against viruses?