What does antibiotic resistance mean?
According to the CDC, antibiotic resistance happens when bacteria changes in some way to reduce or eliminate the effectiveness of the antibiotic. When bacteria are exposed to antibiotics repeatedly, such as when you take the medication needlessly or too frequently, the germs in your body change. These changes can make the germs stronger than before so they completely resist the antibiotic — and win. Your illness will linger with no signs of improvement. Or your illness may suddenly take a turn for the worse, requiring you to seek emergency medical care. You may have to be admitted to the hospital and get several different antibiotics administered in your veins. Sadly, those around you may get the resistant bacteria and come down with a similar illness that is very difficult to treat.
