Antibiotics are medications used to treat and prevent bacterial infections. There are hundreds of antibiotics, but the most common ones include amoxicillin, doxycycline, and erythromycin.
Antibiotics are medications used to treat or prevent infections caused by bacteria, such as urinary tract infections (UTIs), strep throat, and ear infections.
Bacteria or viruses can cause infections. Antibiotics can kill bacteria and some parasites, but not viruses. Antibiotics can’t treat the common cold or the flu.
Hundreds of antibiotics treat different types of illnesses caused by bacteria. But some are more common than others and treat different common infections.
Healthcare professionals gave 211.1 million antibiotic prescriptions in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Amoxicillin was the most commonly prescribed antibiotic, making up 22.6% of all antibiotic prescriptions, according to data from Definitive Healthcare.
Amoxicillin
Amoxicillin (Amoxil) is a type of penicillin used to treat certain infections such as pneumonia and bronchitis. It also treats infections of the ears, nose, throat, urinary tract, and skin.
Amoxicillin comes in tablet or liquid form or as an injection, usually given in a healthcare setting like a doctor’s office.
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Doxycycline (Adoxa) is a type of tetracycline. Doxycycline is an antibiotic with anti-inflammatory properties used to treat a variety of bacterial infections, from skin conditions to pelvic and urethral infections. Doxycycline also treats and prevents anthrax.
Erythromycin (Erythrocin) is a type of macrolide. Erythromycin can treat infections such as bronchitis, pneumonia, Legionnaires disease, whooping cough, and diphtheria. It can also treat some sexually transmitted infections (STIs) like syphilis.
People with an allergy to penicillin can take erythromycin to treat certain bacterial infections.
Brand names: EES, ERY-C, Ery-Tab, Erythrocin, PCE, Pediamycin.
Cephalexin
Cephalexin (Keflex) is a type of cephalosporin used to treat a range of conditions, from respiratory tract infections such as pneumonia to UTIs, pelvic infections, and gonorrhea.
People allergic to penicillin could take specific cephalosporins, such as cefuroxime (Zinacef) and ceftriaxone (Rocephin), to treat certain bacterial infections. Others may cause allergic reactions.
Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) is a type of fluoroquinolone. It treats pneumonia, gonorrhea, typhoid fever, and infections of the bones, skin, joints, ears, and eyes.
Sulfamethoxazole trimethoprim (Bactrim) is a type of sulfonamide, also known as co-trimoxazole. Sulfamethoxazole trimethoprim treats pneumonia, bronchitis, UTIs, and infections of the ears and intestines.
Sulfamethoxazole trimethoprim comes in tablet and liquid form.
If you experience any of these serious adverse effects while taking antibiotics, go to your nearest emergency service and contact a healthcare professional.
Also, taking antibiotics regularly can lead to antibiotic resistance. The CDC recommends that you take antibiotics only when needed to make sure they stay as effective as possible.
How to decide which one to use
A healthcare professional prescribes antibiotics.
The specific type of antibiotics to take depends on which bacterial infection you have. Talk with a healthcare professional if you have symptoms of an infection. They can help determine whether a bacteria or a virus causes the infection.
If it’s a bacterial infection, they’ll determine the type of bacteria and what’s the best antibiotic to treat your infection.
It’s important that you take the full course of the prescribed antibiotic — that is, continue taking it even when your symptoms disappear until you finish your course of antibiotics.
Summary
Antibiotics are medications used to treat bacterial infections. Sometimes, antibiotics treat kill parasites.
There are hundreds of antibiotics, but some common ones treat bacterial infections such as pneumonia, bronchitis, UTIs, and STIs. These include amoxicillin, erythromycin, and co-trimoxazole.
A healthcare professional prescribes antibiotics. The CDC recommends taking antibiotics only when needed to prevent antibiotic resistance.
Antibiotics can cause side effects such as diarrhea, feeling sick, and shortness of breath. If you’re experiencing any of these adverse effects, contact a healthcare professional.
