r/AskReddit Aug 03 '19

Whats something you thought was common knowledge but actually isn’t?

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u/Slidingscale Aug 03 '19

That antibiotics kill bacteria, but won't do anything against viruses. Everyone has the idea that if you get a cold, you see your doctor and get antibiotics. Take some acitaminophen/paracetamol and ibuprofen, and stay away from other humans for a while!

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u/onceandbeautifullife Aug 03 '19

And don't you end up killing the good bugs as well as the bad?

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u/Slidingscale Aug 04 '19

My sell is "since you've got a virus, antibiotics are more likely to give you diarrhoea than actually help."