ACHOO!

Gesundheit.
This is the season for colds, sinus infections, allergies, flu, you name it, the crud is going around. As I type, my own sweetheart is across the table from me coughing heartily and looking pale. People we work with, live with, shop with, everyone around seems to be struggling with one of the above.
Symptoms:
Lets see, the usual suspects include: Cough, sneezes, runny nose, technicolor snot, headache, earache, sinus pain, fever, congestion, funny noises when breathing that range from thrum to rattle to squeak, difficulty breathing, sore throat, scratchy throat, swollen glands, sweats, chills...what have I forgotten?
The problem with symptoms is that many illnesses share the same symptoms, but not all illness are treatable by the same medicines.
Take antibiotics.
I have just learned that the word antibiotics literally means against life.
This wonderful life saving thing called antibiotics is fairly new to health care. That is, it was officially discovered by a gentleman named Sir Alexander Flemming by accident when he was tidying things up in 1928. Penicillin, which comes from mold, kills bacteria.
Since the discovery and subsequent promotion and use of penicillin and related medicines, many millions of lives have been saved. But we humans have developed bad habits and incorrect notions on when and how to use antibiotics.
Antibiotics don't cure everything.
"Antibiotics are powerful medicines that fight bacterial infections. Used properly, antibiotics can save lives. They either kill bacteria or keep them from reproducing. Your body's natural defenses can usually take it from there.
Antibiotics do not fight infections caused by viruses, such as

• Colds
• Flu
• Most coughs and bronchitis
• Sore throats, unless caused by strep

If a virus is making you sick, taking antibiotics may do more harm than good. Each time you take antibiotics, you increase the chances that bacteria in your body will be able to resist them. Later, you could get or spread an infection that those antibiotics cannot cure. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) causes infections that are resistant to several common antibiotics." 
(http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/antibiotics.html)
Don't save some antibiotics until next time.
I admit, I used to do this. When a person is living on a tight budget, and they feel they have taken enough medicine and are healthy again, it might seem prudent to set aside the remnant for the next round. THIS IS A BAD IDEA. For one thing, you may not be completely over the bacterial infection that you were treating, and a secondary infection could come on bigger and badder than the first. For another, just read the last paragraph above. MRSA and other super resistant bacterias are no joke.
NEVER share your antibiotics.
Why not? Well, in health situations, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, swims like a duck, and even quacks like a duck, it could be a badger.
What  I mean is this. Many symptoms are similar for many different illnesses. If you give your medication to someone else and they have a viral infection, the medicine is wasted. It won't work. How do you know if it is viral and not bacterial? You go to your doctor. Also, the person may have an undiscovered allergy to the medication. Is that really something you want to be responsible for?
Dosages are different too. Adults have different dosages than children, people of weight have different dosages than skin and bones seniors citizens. A wrong dose can cause harm. Sharing your antibiotics could actually make someone sicker. Don't do it.
Basic instructions for staying healthy
Wash your hands. Use soap and water. Honest, this is the a-number one line of defense against illness.
Cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough. If you cough in your hands, wash your hands. They say now to cough into your elbow. I tend to sneeze inside the collar of my shirt. Those sneezes do catch a person off guard. If you are sick, and need to be in public, wear a face mask as a courtesy and to prevent spreading the joy of being ill. Get some rest. Drink plenty of water. Too many people dehydrate themselves, thinking caffeinated drinks are beverages and therefore hydrate. Nope. Drink water.

There is more to say about colds, flu, and allergies, but I will have to continue later with that.

http://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/treatments/pages/The-History-of-Antibiotics.aspx
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/antibiotics.htm