system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
If I fall sick due to a bacterial infection, and I chose to recover 'naturally' (lots of rest, water, etc) without taking any antibiotics, will my immune system be stronger for it compared to if I took antibiotics?
gpt
No. You still have the immunological memory of being exposed to the bacteria. This ignores side issues, like the fact that antibiotics can destroy the good intestinal flora, or the bacteria might return resistant to the antibiotics etc. But just in terms of your immune system's ability to respond to that bacteria, it will still be able to generate a stronger immune response the next time, even if the bacteria are killed pharmacologically.