Proper Use of Antibiotics

Bacteria causing infections are fought by antibiotic medicines which contain micro-organisms like fungi. Once the bacteria enters the body it can cause severe infections. Deaths caused by infections have been drastically reduced due to modern antibiotics. One should be careful not to overuse these antibiotics. Keep in mind that viral infections cannot be treated with antibiotics and require a different form of treatment. Most of the viral infections like a common cold, most sinus infections, and throat infections go away on their own. At times, antibiotics are prescribed for viral infections, which is not good for the body as excessive use of medicine is harmful to the body in the long run. Unfortunately, antibiotics are prescribed for children and it is not good for their bodies.

One should remember that if there is a course of antibiotics that is required, you should complete the entire course and not discontinue it before the course of treatment has come to an end. That increases the chances of the infection returning and possibly in a more malignant form. Although antibiotics are meant to treat bacteria, there are certain bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics and can cause another infection. Once the relapse occurs, it is very difficult to treat the infection.

There are times when people do not take antibiotics the first time and then later they have to rely on excessive amounts of antibiotics, which is not good for one’s health. When some of the bacteria survives the treatment and turn resistant, they are not affected by certain types of antibiotics as they have grow resistant to it. Since they are tough to treat, they cause severe diseases.

One such example of bacteria that has become resistant to drugs is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, also known as MRSA. This form of bacteria affects the skin and can cause boils. It can cause severe infections by entering the blood stream, or infecting the lungs and even causing infections in surgical wounds. Such strains of bacteria used to only be noticed in nursing homes and hospitals, but now can be found in communities.
When taking antibiotics, one should keep in mind that these antibiotics also kill the good bacteria that are required by our bodies. There are certain types of bacteria that help in protecting the body against infections. In a viral infection, when antibiotics are taken they destroy good bacteria present inside the body as well.

There are good bacteria present inside one’s digestive system and when that gets killed as a result of antibiotics, then there is a high chance that one’s digestive system can be taken over by the harmful bacteria which can cause infections. Infections that can be life threatening like Clostridium difficile, can be caused by such harmful bacteria.