5 Facts About Antibiotics You Need to Know

Antibiotics, which are also known as antimicrobial drugs, are drugs to fight infections caused by bacteria, both in humans and in animals. Antibiotics work by killing bacteria or making it difficult for bacteria to grow and reproduce. Although antibiotics can be used on bacteria, they cannot be used on viruses. To find out more, let’s look at some of the following facts about antibiotics.

1. Viral disease cannot be treated by antibiotics

Because antibiotics are anti-bacterial, viral infections cannot be treated by antibiotics. Some common infections caused by viruses include:

2. Side effects of too many antibiotics: antibiotic resistance

Antibiotic resistance is the ability of bacteria to resist the effects of antibiotics. This resistance occurs because the bacteria adapt to the drug, thereby reducing the effectiveness of drugs, chemicals, or other agents designed to cure or prevent infection. The bacteria can eventually survive and continue to multiply, thus bringing tremendous harm to the body.

Excessive use of antibiotics can trigger bacterial resistance to antibiotics. Why? Because every time someone takes antibiotics, sensitive bacteria can be killed, while antibiotic-resistant germs are allowed to grow and reproduce. Repeated and inappropriate use of antibiotics is a major cause of increased bacterial resistance to drugs.

Although antibiotics must be used to treat bacterial infections, they are not effective against viral infections. The frequent use of antibiotics has led to the spread of antibiotic resistance. The smart use of antibiotics is the key to controlling the spread of resistance.

3. How do bacteria become resistant to antibiotics?

Bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics in several ways. There are bacteria that can neutralize antibiotics by making them harmless, others can pump the antibiotics back out before they harm the bacteria. Some bacteria also exist that can change the outer structure, so that antibiotics have no way to touch the bacteria.

After being exposed to antibiotics, sometimes one of the bacteria can survive because it finds a way to fight the antibiotic. If one of the bacteria becomes resistant to antibiotics, the bacteria can multiply and replace all the bacteria that were killed. Thus, with selective antibiotic exposure, bacteria can survive and become resistant to antibiotic drugs due to mutations in genetic material.

4. When do you not need to take antibiotics?

Antibiotics are not necessary for viral infections, such as colds, flu, or mononucleosis. If you take antibiotics when you don’t need them, you can increase your risk of getting a disease caused by resistant bacteria.

5. How to take antibiotics the right and safe

It’s important to understand that, although antibiotics are very useful drugs, they are designed only for bacterial infections. Things you need to do to prevent bacterial immunity are:

Talk to your doctor about antibiotic resistance.
Ask if antibiotics are beneficial for your disease.
Ask what you can do to cure the disease faster.
Do not use antibiotics for diseases caused by viral infections, such as colds or flu.
Do not leave some of the antibiotics prescribed for future illnesses.
Take antibiotics exactly as your doctor recommends.
Don’t miss a dose. Even when the condition gets better, because if the antibiotics are stopped, some bacteria can survive and re-infect.
Do not take antibiotics that are prescribed for other people, because the drugs may not be suitable for your illness. Taking the wrong drug can give bacteria a chance to reproduce.
If the doctor states that your disease is not due to a bacterial infection, then do not force the doctor to prescribe antibiotics.

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