Viral infections and antibiotic meds

[Jody]

Every year or so I seem to get what is usually diagnosed as a viral infection and yet I get prescribed an antibiotic such as one this past month - a generic amoxicillin that states in the write-up the pharmacy gives out that it only treats bacterial infections and will not work for viral infections.

Yet doctors will often say that 80% or more of these ailments are viral and only a small percentage are bacterial or fungal and yet they prescribe an antibiotic and after 48 hours I feel almost 100% better,  I take the entire amount (usually a weeks worth) as the doctor prescribes.

So I'm curious why if most ailments of this nature are usually viral that the antibiotic meds work and whether our HIV meds to battle the AIDS virus are not a kind of enigma in that vein as well.

Just asking a dumb question I guess.'

Jody 

[dixieman]

Well probally the virus lowers your bodies resistance to fighting off extra on board bacterial infections... so when your body eliminates the extra bacterial "buggers" that try to cause havic with the body... their knocked out by the antibiotic... which enables the body to help fight off the effects of a virus. Antibiotics do nothing in fighting VIRUSES... only bacterial...