By top oncology pharma companies in India: Antibiotics are one of medicine’s most significant achievements. However, the overuse of antibiotics has resulted in resistant microbes (bacteria that are harder to treat). First created in 1928, antibiotics have played an important role in human health. Unfortunately, many of these medications are losing their efficacy due to overuse and misuse. Learn about the side effects of antibiotics before using non – prescribed medicine to treat an infection.
Antibiotics are now used to treat everything from sexually transmitted diseases and respiratory infections to parasites and strep throat. Unfortunately, contemporary bacteria are beginning to acquire antibiotic resistance. The most well-known risk of using unprescribed antibiotics is the acceleration of the emergence of antibiotic-resistant “superbugs,” which might limit the capacity to treat even minor diseases.
The danger of superbugs
Leftover antibiotics shouldn’t exist in the first place, says one expert. Antibiotics should be taken at any given point in their totality. Otherwise, the germs being treated may acquire resistance.
Suppose if you’re poisoning something and you think it’s dead, but it isn’t; now that it has been exposed to the poison or antibiotic, it can grow stronger and may not be killed by it the next time. This is how resistance manifests itself.
Antibiotic-Resistance
Antibiotic misuse, including taking antibiotics when necessary, contributes to antibiotic resistance. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, up to one-third to one-half of antibiotic use in humans is unnecessary or inappropriate.
Because antibiotics can be purchased without a prescription for human or animal usage, the establishment and spread of resistance are increased. Similarly, in nations with no established treatment standards, antibiotics are frequently over-prescribed by doctors and veterinarians and over-used by the general people.
We are on the verge of entering a post-antibiotic age where everyday diseases and small injuries can kill as they did in the past.
As treatment resistance grows, doctors see an increasing number of superbugs that endanger human life. A NEW WAVE OF SUPERBUGS APPEARS TO BE DEVELOPING from MRSA and CRE to antibiotic-resistant STDs and pneumonia, while the pool of viable therapies remains limited.
What can you do?
Doctors and people, in general, can help avoid antibiotic overuse and misuse. From the standpoint of a patient, it is critical to follow the following guidelines:
Antibiotics should never be used without a prescription. Antibiotics have no impact on viral infections; therefore, they will not assist with the flu, bronchitis, viral gastroenteritis, many forms of ear infections, or most coughs. If your condition lasts longer than seven to ten days, it might be a bacterial infection that needs antibiotic treatment.
It’s tempting to quit taking antibiotics as soon as you start feeling better. However, the entire therapy is required to kill the disease-causing microorganisms. Failure to take an antibiotic as prescribed may entail resuming treatment later, which may hasten the emergence of antibiotic-resistant characteristics among dangerous bacteria.
You can assist limit the spread of antibiotic resistance by doing the following:
- Avoid putting undue pressure on your doctor to get you an antibiotic prescription. Consult your doctor for treatment options.
- Maintain proper hygiene to avoid bacterial illnesses that necessitate antibiotic treatment.
- Reduce your chances of developing a bacterial illness from eating. Drinking raw milk, not washing your hands, and cooking items to a safe internal temperature are all a no-go.
- Only take antibiotics as directed by your doctor. Take the daily dose as directed and finish the whole course of treatment.
- Never save antibiotics for future diseases. They may not be the appropriate antibiotic and would not constitute a complete course of treatment.
- Never take antibiotics given to someone else.
To conclude:
Although there has been a new development of antibiotics, none is too strong to withstand dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Due to the current travelling scenario and the frequency of people travelling according to the WHO, it’s a global problem. So it is the responsibility of the individual and health care professional to be very diligent when it comes to antibiotics.
