| If you take an antibiotic every time you or your child has a runny nose, think twice. Most sore throats and colds, alongside the flu and other viral infections, do not react to the bacteria-killing properties of these very potent drugs. Instead, the illness needs to run its course, as the immune system does its healing work.
Then when should you take antibiotics? Below is a primer on these wonder medications and the bacterial infections which they target.
Bacteria vs. Viruses
Most diseases infect our bodies via microorganisms. Viruses and bacteria differ in size, structure and method of multiplication, not to mention the ways in which they are treated. While doctors have secure and efficacious vaccines to protect us from many viruses, they do not have safe and effective treatments to cure or treat most of them.
Penicillin started up a revolution in Medicine
Penicillin was discovered in 1944. At the present time, antibiotics are among the most commonly prescribed drugs in the world, either killing off germs immediately or impeding their reproduction.
Downside of a very upside treatment
Antibiotics can bright about many more medical problems, if not used in the correct way. Extensive use and misuse in the ill over time have threatened antibiotics' ability to fight off germs. In our time, almost all bacteria are resistant to these medicines, so that more lately invented antibiotics are sometimes necessary to stop infections that were once easily treatable. Antibiotics can also bright about complications, such as vaginal yeast infections and diarrhoea.
So the next time you want an antibiotic to fend off a cold, enquire how to cope with the symptoms instead. Do not be surprised when your doctor has suggested 'watchful waiting' to see if symptoms finally merit a prescription.
If you are taking an antibiotic, follow instructions. Your dosage has been measured to fight off germs throughout the course of the illness. So, if you do not finish, you risk leaving enough microorganisms in your system to re-start the infection - despite the fact that you are feeling good. The leftover drug will not be enough to combat the germs the next time, and it may even make them resistant to antibiotics.
The most suitable way to lower the risk of antibiotic resistance is to avoid catching a cold in the first place.
Washing hands is the most effective preventive measure you can take to prevent transmitting diseases. So scrub thoroughly with warm, soapy water for at least 15 seconds, then rinse properly. You will be doing your essential part for prevention. |
