Antibiotic Misuse
Antibiotic misuse helped resistant bacteria that are not affected by antibiotics develop..
Each time you have a cold or a sore throat and go and see your GP, you expect to be prescribed antibiotics and sometimes you are not, although you want to get better as quick as possible.
Viruses and bacteria are mainly what make people ill and these two work differently in the way they spread diseases. A good percentage of colds, sore throats and fevers are caused by viruses. Symptoms last for one to two weeks and you can’t use antibiotics to kill them but cold tablets to ease them.
Bacteria live and exist on their own while viruses need other living organisms to become alive, survive and make them sick. Bacteria are everywhere and while some are good for you, some are harmless and some are evil. Antibiotics are capable of killing all of them.
Viruses are completely bad and no antibiotics will help you get rid of them. So when you catch a cold virus, you just have to rest, try and reduce the symptoms and wait for it to go away on its own, there is nothing else you can do.
Antibiotics are actually poisons that are designed to destroy or stop small organisms. And they come with several side effects, like diarrhea, allergies, upset tummy, rash, fungal infection of vagina, digestive tract and mouth as they kill the friendly bacteria as well as the bad ones without differentiating.
On rare occasions sun sensitivity, difficulty breathing, kidney stones, even deafness are possible. Antibiotic misuse and damage can also cause weight gain, as yeast growth may lead you to change your eating habits and turn to simple carbs like sugar, white flour, potatoes and pasta.
Common antibiotics include penicillin- ampicillin, amoxicillin, cephalosporin, tetracycline, macrolides- erythromycin. Penicillin group antibiotics work by killing off bacteria while bacteriostatic antibiotics simply stop bacteria spreading.
Although it is cool that we can treat bacteria caused illnesses by antibiotics, by using them too much for whatever illness over time, we’ve made these bacteria resistant to antibiotics and we needed even stronger doses to kill them. Bad news is there are now bacteria in nature that can’t be killed by any antibiotics available today: Pneumonia, tuberculosis, blood poisoning, dysentery, meningitis, sinus, ear and skin infections..
Do not ever take or give your child antibiotics before visiting your doctor first, let them decide whether it is a viral infection or caused by bacteria. If it is viral, then ask them how to relieve the symptoms.
When and if you start antibiotics, finish the whole course in the given amount of time and never save spare antibiotics for the next time. Infections may come back if you don’t use the whole pack. Follow the instructions- whether to take them one hour before meals or two hours after meals or without dairy etc. Use them properly and never take antibiotics prescribed for others. Give it at least one or two days to feel better. Wash your hands properly when you are sick or not.
Antibiotic misuse and overuse may kill friendly bacteria (like Bulgaricus, Bifidus and Lactobacillus acidophilus) in your body that help improve your immune system, prevent allergies and help digestion too. This may greatly damage your health and lead to various chronic illnesses. Doctors should be particularly careful with babies and pregnant women when prescribing antibiotics as babies are just starting to form the friendly bacteria in their systems.
So next time you go on a course of antibiotics, eat plenty of plain yogurt that contain the good bacteria or get kefir or supplements from the shops to increase the levels of these good bacteria in your body. Cut a clove of raw garlic into small pieces and swallow it daily for allicin to boost your immunity and eat foods that are rich in antioxidants.
Return from Antibiotic Misuse to Glycemic Index home page
Or back to Omega 3 Fatty Acid from Antibiotic Misuse
