Antibiotics provide no relief for common colds

 Source: News-Medical 

Title: Antibiotics provide no relief for common colds 

Date: November 28, 2025 

Page number:  

Author: Dr. Sanchari Sinha Dutta reviewed by Benedette Cuffari, M.Sc. 

 

Link: https://www.news-medical.net/news/20251128/Antibiotics-provide-no-relief-for-common-colds.aspx

 

Five W’s 

Who: Researchers at the University of Auckland.  

What: A new study showing that antibiotics do not help treat the common cold, and can increase risk of side effects.   

Where: Location not given.   

When: The news article was published November 28, 2025.   

Why:  To find out if giving antibiotics for a cold or nasal infection symptoms actually helps people feel better or recover faster, compared with placebo. 

 

Summary 

 

The study showed that antibiotics do not help people get better from the cold. When researchers compared people taking antibiotics with people taking a fake pill, both groups recovered in the same amount of time. The researchers also found that adults who took antibiotics often had more side effects, while people taking the fake pill had fewer problems. This shows that taking antibiotics when they are not needed can cause more harm than good. 

 

My Opinion 

I think this review is really important because it raises awareness that “antibiotics do not work for either the common cold or for acute purulent rhinitis” and that they “significantly increase the risk of adverse effects.” I say this especially because I had a cold for two months and a constant cough, and that’s why I was interested in this news. After I finally took antibiotics, the cough went away and I felt better. Maybe it was a “placebo effect,” and I don’t know exactly what helped. But reading this article makes me think that maybe it wasn’t even a cold I had. After this, I feel it’s better to rest and let my body heal naturally unless it’s a real bacterial infection. This review matters because it helps spread awareness about when antibiotics should and shouldn’t be used. It protects people from unnecessary side effects.