Tips for Keeping Antibiotics Effective
By: Jake | January 14, 2008 | Category: Health
I can count on a sinus infection or two every year and I’ve already racked one up for 2008. I’ve been to the doctor and have had antibiotics prescribed to me, but being on antibiotics is not something I prefer. It’s just not the fact that if I am taking antibiotics I’m sick that bothers me, but more the concern that taking antibiotics too often can make them ineffective when I am sick in the future.
The U.S. National Institutes of Health says each time you take antibiotics, you increase the chances that bacteria in your body will be able to resist them. Later, you could get or spread an infection that those antibiotics cannot cure. This issue is raising concerns internationally.
You can avoid making antibiotics ineffective by knowing when you need antibiotics, completing your antibiotics prescription and not using leftover antibiotics when you are sick in the future.
Antibiotics are strong medicines that can stop some infections and save lives, but they only work against infections that are caused by bacteria. The flu, colds, sore throats and certain types of ear infections are immune to antibiotics because they are caused by viruses.
Take my recent case. I got a cold and the bacteria from the drainage caused my sinus infection. I went to the doctor and the antibiotics killed the bacteria and cured the infection, but they did not stop my cold. I had to let the cold run its course and even though my sinuses felt better within a couple of days, I took all the antibiotics.
Doctors prescribe antibiotics for a certain time frame and amount so they destroy the infection properly. If you don't take all the antibiotics, you run the risk of just weakening the bacteria and having it come back immune to antibiotics. Some people stop taking antibiotics because they think they can use them when they are sick in the future. Besides risking not curing your current infection, another problem with this is that different antibiotics kill different bacteria and diseases and the antibiotics they use now may not be effective with future illnesses.
So, if you have a bacterial infection, take all your antibiotics. If you have a virus....well, we hope you feel better soon.
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Of course, I'm not a doctor, but having raised 5 daughters and having many employees over the years at www.arizonaballoon.com it seems one would be just as well off.
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Thanks for writing! The purpose of this blog was to make people aware that antibiotics are not always helpful in curing some common illnesses. The best advice I can give you and your employees is to consult your doctor if you have concerns about when you should take antibiotics.
I personally don't know of anyone that takes antibiotics year-round and don't think it would be a good idea since antibiotics kill "good" and "bad" bacteria. For an example, see the link below--some of the "good" bacteria antibiotics kill are those that help your digestive system. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/diarrhea.html
Jake
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I agree, if you are prescribed antibiotics make sure you follow the schedule and take the quantity prescribed. But for recurrent bodily infections that can't seem to be cured by medications, a herbal remedy formula would work best. It won't cause side effects nor compromise immune defenses and the gut but bring about holistic healing as a method of treatment. MOre from the article below.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Herbal-Supplement---Therapeutic-Herbs-in-Synergy-to-Ensue-Holistic-Healing&id=815358
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http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/herbalmedicine.html
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/herbal-medicine-000351.htm
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