ANTIBIOTICS WORK, BUT ONLY IN SOME CASES

Most Americans have come to expect modern medicine to come up with a cure for just about anything. But doctors continue to be leery of overusing antibiotics to treat ailments for which there is no cure other than time and perhaps some over-the-counter remedies to provide some comfort.

The American Academy of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine has once again warned about the overuse of antibiotics. Suffering patients too frequently demand potent medication, not knowing they may be contributing to the effectiveness of antibiotics in general.

Patients who seek medical attention need to stop asking for antibiotics, and doctors need to stop giving in when patients make such demands. In the long run, we will all be glad there's still a pill that works when antibiotics are truly needed.