Why antibiotics are POWERLESS to stop spread of killer 'Aussie flu'

IT is easy to think antibiotics are the solution to every illness, but they won't protect you against the spread of Aussie flu no matter how many you take.

That's because antibiotics only treat bacterial infections and the flu is a viral infection, so they were never designed to treat the flu.

In fact, the NHS advises that people don't go to their GP when they have the flu because there is nothing they can do for them – and you will only be spreading your germs when you go to the surgery.

You should only contact your GP if you develop chest pains, have difficulty breathing or start coughing up blood.

But as cases of the Aussie flu are surging across the UK it is important to know the best medications to treat the illness.

The only medication that is effective when you have the flu is paracetamol and ibuprofen, both of which ease the symptoms rather than fighting the virus.

Antibiotics work by killing bacteria or preventing them from reproducing and spreading around.

And using them inappropriately, such as when you have the flu, can encourage some bacteria to become antibiotic resistant.

So when you really do need them to treat an illness they may not be effective at all.

Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, chair of the Royal College of GPs, told The Sun Online: "Antibiotics can only treat bacterial infections – they cannot treat viruses, such as flu, as they were never developed or intended to – and it’s important that patients understand this and that antibiotics are not seen as a ‘catch all’ for every illness.

"Antibiotics are highly-effective drugs when used appropriately to treat susceptible bacterial infections.

"But we have become too dependent on them as a society and bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant to them as a result.

"If we don’t tackle this, it will have a terrible impact on patients’ health both in the UK and globally."

Health officials have warned that the NHS advice to "finish taking a prescribed course of antibiotics, even if you feel better" is wrong and fuelling the rise of deadly superbugs.

Martin Llewelyn, professor of infectious diseases at Brighton and Sussex Medical School told the BMJ that taking antibiotics for longer than necessary increases the risk of resistance.

PROTECT YOURSELF FROM THE FLU

While antibiotics are useless in treating the flu once you are ill, you can prevent it with the flu jab.

The NHS offers a free flu jab – but only to certain age and health groups.

For children the vaccine is offered in the form of a nasal spray.

Children aged two to four years will be given the spray at their GP surgery.

Young kids in school years one to three are likely to receive their vaccine at school.

Pregnant women and anyone aged 65-years and older are eligible for a free jab.

But also, people with long-term heart or respiratory diseases or weakened immune systems will get a free jab.

The World Health Organisation has warned the world is running out of antibiotics to tackle drug-resistant infections and labelled the resistance a "global health emergency".

It warned it could "seriously jeopardise" progress made in modern medicine.

If antibiotics lose their effectiveness, then key medical procedures – including gut surgery, caesarean sections, joint replacements and chemotherapy – could become too dangerous to perform.

But that doesn't mean there is no way for you to protect yourself against "Aussie flu".

And there are also several other things you can do to ease symptoms like sore throats and chesty coughs, such as getting enough sleep, drinking plenty of fluids and wrapping up nice and warm.

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"The best way for patients to protect themselves against influenza is to maintain good hygienic practices, such as washing their hands regularly, especially after blowing their nose or sneezing, and also to have the flu jab," Prof Stokes-Lampard added.

"This is particularly recommended for patients in at-risk groups, such as young children, those with long-term health conditions and pregnant women.

"If patients do catch flu, the best advice is to take plenty of rest and drink lots of fluids, and to use over the counter medications like paracetamol to reduce the fever and aches and pains associated with it."

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