STORY AT-A-GLANCE
Antibiotics fight bacterial infections. They have no effect on infections caused by viruses, such as the common cold, seasonal influenza, SARS-CoV-2 and some ear infections
Antibiotic drugs are routinely overused, both in human medicine and agriculture, resulting in the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant infections
There are many natural plant-based remedies that will help kill bacteria without the risk of building resistance
Natural antimicrobials include medicinal honey, garlic, ginger, echinacea, goldenseal, myrrh oil, thyme essential oil, oregano oil, clove extract and cranberry juice
Remember that upper respiratory infections (URIs) are typically caused by viruses, not bacteria, so antibiotics won’t work for these infections. For URI’s, nebulized hydrogen peroxide is one of the most effective remedies. In most URI cases, improvement is seen within a few hours