In modern medicine, illnesses are fought off using a variety of different drugs that are called “medicines.” These medicines may be taken orally or intravenously and can be used to combat diseases from common colds to the flu. However, there is one distinction between many of these types of medications: antibiotics versus antivirals.
What Is An Antibiotic?
Antibiotics are used to combat bacterial infections in the body. When bacteria enter the human body, they try to find an environment that is favorable for their growth. If there is a bacterial infection in the body, the bacteria seek out the areas where it can grow and multiply most effectively.
Antibiotics act to “poison” the bacteria into not multiplying and growing. As a result, the body’s natural immune system can fight off that infection.
A common antibiotic is penicillin, which kills off many species of bacteria, including some common ones such as listeria and staph. Other antibiotics include ciprofloxacin (Cipro) for fighting gram-negative bacteria, clindamycin for acne treatment or treating an infection in the digestive tract, and erythromycin for respiratory infections.
What Is an Antiviral?
Antivirals are used to combat viral infections in the body. Viruses enter the body as well, but they have one goal: to infect cells and take them over.
When a virus manages to take over a cell, it takes control of the cell’s machinery and makes copies of itself. Antivirals work by making it difficult for viruses to copy themselves while allowing the cells to continue functioning.
As a result, antivirals keep viruses from spreading while the body naturally fights off infections.
Why These Medicines Matter
The difference between antibiotics and antivirals is that antibiotics fight bacterial infections and antivirals fight viral infections. While both types of medicine may require a prescription and can be taken orally, antibiotics usually come in pill form while antivirals are often liquids that need to be administered through an IV drip directly into the bloodstream.
Both are helpful for fighting infections, but they are different. For example, people who have the flu virus may be given an antiviral to fight off that infection while someone with a bacterial infection of pneumonia will need antibiotics to treat the bacteria in their lungs.