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Do you really need that Antibiotic ? : Antibiotics should only be used for diagnosed bacterial infections. Evidence shows that of the 150 million antibiotic prescriptions written each year, more than a third or 50 million are unnecessary. Some experts use this statistic to show that some doctors are giving out prescriptions for antibiotics for all kinds of medical problems, even though the drugs are only effective against bacteria.
br> According to studies, many doctors feel pressured by their patients to write prescriptions for antibiotics. Some patients may feel a prescription validates the fact that they have an illness, the doctor has recognized it, and it can be treated.
br> Moreover, patients often want treatment immediately. As an example, bacteria are not the only cause of sore throats. In fact, most sore throats are due to viral infections and resolve on their own. However, identifying the cause takes time. In the case of a throat infection, a throat culture is often taken to see if bacteria are responsible, and if so, which ones they are. Patients can be impatient in waiting for the results and hastily expect antibiotic treatment.
Antibiotics are NOT Antivirals : An Antiviral is an agent that kills a virus or that suppresses its ability to replicate and, hence, inhibits its capability to multiply and reproduce. For example, amantadine (Symmetrel) is a synthetic antiviral. It acts by inhibiting the multiplication of the influenza A virus. Given within 24-48 hours of the onset of symptoms of the flu, it can lessen the severity of the disease.
br> The development of antivirals has lagged far behind that of antibiotics. A virus is just genetic material, DNA or RNA, perhaps with a few enzymes, wrapped in a protein coat. A viral is technically not alive which makes it hard to kill. Further, viruses replicate (make copies of themselves) by hijacking the machinery of the cell they infect, so it is difficulty to kill the virus without killing the cell. Some viruses can also remain dormant in the body without replicating, thereby avoiding drugs that inhibit replication. The antivirals that have been developed are generally less effective than one would like. Viruses can replicate rapidly and, in many cases sloppily, giving rise to mutations that make them resistant to drugs. And for fast-moving viral infections like flu or a cold, a drug must be very powerful to make a difference before the disease runs its natural course.
Antibiotics Don't Discriminate : Antibiotics do not just go after the pathogenic or “bad” bacteria. They also indiscriminately destroy the beneficial bacteria necessary and vital to good health. Among the more important beneficial bacteria are lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidobacterium bifidus. They help protect the body against infection. Depleting these organisms can disrupt the balance of the body, suppress immunity, and lead to increased susceptibility to infections by fungi, bacteria, viruses and parasites. Additionally, when antibiotics are used excessively, depleting the beneficial bacteria, there may be an overgrowth of yeast in the body. A yeast infection can suppress immunity, which may lead to recurrent infections.
br> What's more, antibiotics adversely affect many nutrients, particularly the ones needed by the immune system to fight infection, such as vitamins A and C. One of the most common side effects of antibiotics is diarrhea. This causes a loss of nutrients, especially magnesium and zinc. Some children are on antibiotics for months or even years. Nutritional loss over such a long period of time is debilitating for the body and sets up an environment for more infections.
Using antibiotics inappropriately : Antibiotics are designed to treat specific types of bacteria and some nonbacterial organisms, but they are not effective for treating viruses. Infections due to viruses are treated with antiviral drugs. The major concern with the inappropriate use of antibiotics or antiviral drugs is the development of resistance to the drug.
br> The longer or more frequently bacteria and viruses are exposed to a drug, the greater the chance that they will develop ways to resist the effects of the drug. Resistance also is promoted if the dose of medication is too low. Moreover, once resistance develops, the ability to resist can be transferred to other bacteria. Drug resistance is a serious problem because we have a limited number of antibiotics and antiviral drugs.
br> To decrease the development of drug resistance, antibiotics and antiviral drugs should be prescribed only when they are likely to be effective and in high enough doses and for an adequate length of time to eradicate the bacterium or virus. Multiple agents should be used when there is a strong likelihood that one drug will not eradicate the bacterium or virus.
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