In this deck, we'll explore how we treat diseases using medicines. We'll look at the crucial difference between painkillers and antibiotics, a major problem called antibiotic resistance, and the long and careful process of developing and testing new drugs to make sure they are safe and effective.

Let's start with painkillers. These are drugs that treat the symptoms of a disease, like headaches or fever, but they don't actually tackle the cause. For example, if you have the flu, a painkiller can make you feel better, but it doesn't kill the flu virus itself. Your immune system has to do that.

Now for antibiotics. Unlike painkillers, antibiotics are designed to kill the cause of an illness, but only a specific type. Antibiotics, like penicillin, work by killing bacteria or stopping them from growing and reproducing. It's vital to remember that antibiotics have no effect on viruses. This is why a doctor won't prescribe antibiotics for a cold or the flu, as these are caused by viruses.