Imagine you develop an infection — anything from a typical urinary tract infection to tuberculosis. Now imagine there's nothing doctors can do.

The discovery of antibiotics changed medicine in the 20th century. Today, they're widely used to treat infections caused by bacteria.

But bacteria are starting to adapt to the drugs and are becoming harder to kill. That's called antibiotic resistance. The longer and more often antibiotics are used, the less effective they are against those bacteria.

Because of antibiotic resistance, some common diseases such as pneumonia, urinary tract infection are becoming more difficult to treat. You might need stronger, more expensive drugs. Or you might need to take them longer. You also might not get well as quickly, or you could develop other health issues. In some cases, these infections result in death.

Resistance also makes it more difficult to care for people with chronic diseases. Some people need medical treatments like chemotherapy, surgery, or dialysis, and they sometimes take antibiotics to help reduce the risk of infection.

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Steps that you can take to help lower the risk of AMR include the following:

Only use antimicrobial drugs when a doctor prescribes them.

Always complete the full prescribed course, even if the symptoms have subsided. If not, the drug may only kill off the most vulnerable microbes, leaving others to survive and develop resistance.

Never share antimicrobials with others or use leftover drugs from previous prescriptions. These medications may not be suitable for different forms of infection.

Do not pressurize doctors into prescribing antimicrobials when they are not necessary.

Follow good hygiene practices to prevent the spread of microbes, including washing hands thoroughly and ensuring that food preparation areas are clean.

Get recommended vaccinations, as this will reduce the risk of needing to take medication.