Do you know when an antibiotic is needed and when it's not? Antibiotics are incredible life-saving drugs. They’re great for bacterial infections, like strep throat and many ear infections. But they aren’t cure-all wonder pills, and sometimes they can cause more harm than good. In this video, Dr. Michael Smith explains how antibiotics work and why you shouldn't take an antibiotic "just to be safe."
![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fZl-SvDL8Cc/maxresdefault.jpg)