no. antibiotics play no role in treating the common cold. antibiotics are effective only against illnesses caused by bacteria and colds are caused by viruses. not only do antibiotics not help but they can rarely also cause severe allergic reactions that can sometimes be fatal. furthermore using antibiotics when they are not necessary has led to the growth of several strains of common bacteria that have become resistant to certain antibiotics. for these and other reasons it is important to limit the use of antibiotics to situations in which they are medically indicated. though occasionally a bacterial infection such as sinusitis or a middle ear infection can develop following the common cold the decision to treat with antibiotics should be determined by your physician or health-care practitioner.
are antibiotics a suitable treatment for the common cold?