Antibiotic resistance occurs when an antibiotic stops working against the bacteria it was designed to fight.

Bacteria are always adapting and changing, so an antibiotic may become less effective over time as bacteria find new ways to survive.

We are being over-exposed to antibiotics in many parts of our daily lives:

• Our food (animals and plants) is frequently treated with antibiotics.
• Many household products, such as soaps and cleansers, contain antibacterial ingredients.
• Antibiotics (oral & topical) are often prescribed when they are not needed (such as for viral infections).

Even when an antibiotic is appropriate, resistance can happen if it is not used properly (stopping treatment too early, using antibiotics for too long, sharing antibiotics, saving antibiotics to use for "next time", or disposing of antibiotics in the garbage, sink or toilet).

Experts around the world are concerned that the antibiotics we rely on may stop working, and infections that were once easy to treat may become deadly again.

Here's how antibiotic resistance could affect you:

• When you get a bacterial infection, you could get sicker, take longer to recover, and end up in the hospital. Infections are getting harder to treat now than even 5 to 10 years ago.
• The first-choice antibiotic for your infection may no longer work. Your doctor may have to use a second-choice antibiotic that takes longer to work and causes more side effects.
• You could catch a "superbug" such as MRSA, VRE, and C. difficile (C. diff). These infections are not just in hospitals anymore. They are more common than ever, and harder to treat.
• You may get a bacterial infection that can't be treated at all, because it is resistant to all antibiotics.

Anyone may be affected by antibiotic resistance. But your risk may be higher if:

• you are currently on antibiotics - not just pills, but also topical antibiotics (e.g., antibiotics applied to the skin, such as the ones used for acne); resistance can develop quickly (e.g., after just 8 weeks of treatment with topical antibiotics for acne).
• you have recently been in hospital.

• If you are on an antibiotic, ask your doctor about antibiotic resistance and whether you should switch to an antibiotic-free treatment option (but don't stop your antibiotic without checking with your doctor first).
• Don't ask your doctor for antibiotics when you are sick. Instead, talk to your doctor about whether an antibiotic-free option would be appropriate.
• If your doctor does prescribe an antibiotic, take the full course of treatment (don't stop if you feel better partway through), don't share it with anyone else, and don't save it for next time you get sick. Bring leftover antibiotics to your pharmacy for disposal (don't flush them down the sink or toilet or put them in the garbage as they could end up in the water system).