Everything You Need to Know about Antibiotics

Antibiotics, as the name suggests, are substances that kill or reduce the growth of bacteria. Today, due to the ongoing research, antibiotics are developing at a great pace and helping humans overcome diseases and save lives.

They are normally orally ingested; however, in some cases they are administered topically, as with ointments or eye drops.

The first commercially available antibiotic, Prontosil, was released in 1932, thanks to Gerhard Domagk, who received a noble prize for medicine for his contribution in the field. This gave rise to a wave and more antibiotics started coming up at regular intervals. However, it wasn’t until the development of penicillin that the boom started.

Antibiotics are tested before they are approved for use. Most antibiotics are fine, with no reported side effects. However, in some cases there have been some side effects.

Side effects can be weak or strong, depending on the dose and the antibiotic. Some of the most common side effects are fever and nausea. In some cases, patients also complain of allergy. One of the severe side effects is diarrhea that is caused by the disruption of the composition in the intestinal flora.

One major thing that one must take care of when using antibiotics is using them with other medicines. Antibiotics can react with other medicines causing serious damage to the body. It is highly advisable to only follow doctor’s prescription and not mix antibiotics with other medicines.

Given the widespread use of antibiotics, quite often people turn to them without any prescription from a doctor. Self prescription is also very popular. It has to be understood that antibiotics are to work against bacteria and not viral or other disease.

That too, every kind of bacterial disease has its own antibacterial. Mixing or misusing will only cause trouble. Antibiotics are also useless in simple viral disease like the common cold and the flu.

Another problem is over dosage. People believe the more is better and it would help them heal at a faster rate. The consensus is wrong as an overdose has more negative effects than positive. It leads to several complications. Antibiotics should only be taken in the dose prescribed. No more – no less.

Antibiotics are considered extreme. They are mostly prescribed when the person is having serious health issues. Doctors mostly go for other alternatives, such as vaccines, chelation and different kinds of therapies.