What Are Antibiotics ?

Antibiotics, also known as antibacterials, are types of medications that destroy or slow down the growth of bacteria. The Greek word anti means "against", and the Greek word bios means "life" (bacteria are life forms). Antibiotics are sed to treat infections ca sed by bacteria. !acteria are microscopic organisms, some of which may ca se illness. The word bacteria is the pl ral of bacteri m." ch illnesses as syphilis, t berc losis, salmonella, and some forms of meningitis are ca sed by bacteria. "ome bacteria are harmless, while others are good for s. !efore bacteria can m ltiply and ca se symptoms, the body#s imm ne system can s ally destroy them. We ha$e special white blood cells that attack harmf l bacteria. %$en if symptoms do occ r, o r imm ne system can s ally cope and fight off the infection. There are occasions, howe$er, when it is all too m ch and some help is needed.....from antibiotics. Antibiotics are commonly classified based on their mechanism of action, chemical str ct re, or spectr m of acti$ity. &ost target bacterial f nctions or growth processes. Those that target the bacterial cell wall (penicillins and ephalosporins) or the cell membrane (polymi'ins), or interfere with essential bacterial en(ymes (rifamycins, lipiarmycins, ) inolones, and s lfonamides) ha$e bactericidal acti$ities. Those that target protein synthesis (macrolides, lincosamides and tetracyclines) are s ally bacteriostatic (with the e'ception of bactericidal aminoglycosides).*+,-

!enefits and side.effects of Antibiotics

/n most of the infections, one sho ld se antibiotics for 0.1 days e'cept for some bacterial infections which re) ire medication for 2.+ weeks. Antibiotics are generally safe and sho ld always be taken after cons lting the doctor. The side.effects can $ary from mild to life.threatening ,depending pon the antibiotics. There co ld be fre) ent loose motions, $omiting, skin allergies, effect on li$er, kidney, gastric irritation, gastric bleeding and so on. Antibiotics hinder the effecti$eness of other medications and might ca se allergic reactions. This co ld lead to serio s bacterial imbalance in h man body and might ca se other diseases. 3nnecessary intake of antibiotics can ca se antibiotic resistance in h man body and takes longer for a body to heal from bacterial infections and diseases. /n women, antibiotics may red ce the efficiency of birth control pills.

Antibiotics4 &is se p ts yo and others at risk

Antibiotics can be lifesa$ers, b t mis se has increased the n mber of dr g.resistant germs. "ee how this affects yo and what yo can do to help pre$ent antibiotic resistance. /f yo think antibiotic resistance isn#t a problem or doesn#t affect yo , think again. A prominent e'ample of the dangers of antibiotic resistance is the spread of methicillin. resistant "taphylococc s a re s (&5"A). &5"A was once a concern only for people in the hospital, b t a newer form of &5"A is ca sing infections in healthy people in the comm nity. Antibiotic resistance occ rs when antibiotics no longer work against disease.ca sing bacteria. These infections are diffic lt to treat and can mean longer lasting illnesses, more doctor $isits or e'tended hospital stays, and the need for more e'pensi$e and to'ic medications. "ome resistant infections can e$en ca se death. Altho gh e'perts are working to de$elop new antibiotics and other treatments to keep pace with antibiotic.resistant strains of bacteria, infectio s organisms can adapt ) ickly. Antibiotic.resistant bacteria will contin e to be a global health concern 6 and sing antibiotics wisely is important for pre$enting their spread.

When is it appropriate to se antibiotics?

Antibiotics are effecti$e against bacterial infections, certain f ngal infections and some kinds of parasites. Antibiotics don#t work against $ir ses. The chart shows common illnesses and whether they#re ca sed by bacteria or $ir ses. Taking an antibiotic when yo ha$e a $iral infection won#t make yo feel better 6 and can contrib te to antibiotic resistance.

7onse) ences of antibiotic mis se

/f antibiotics are sed too often for things they can#t treat 6 like colds, fl or other $iral infections 6 not only are they of no benefit, they become less effecti$e against the bacteria they#re intended to treat. 8ot taking antibiotics e'actly as prescribed also leads to problems. 9or e'ample, if yo take an antibiotic for only a few days 6 instead of the f ll co rse 6 the antibiotic may wipe o t some, b t not all, of the bacteria. The s r$i$ing bacteria become more resistant and can be spread to other people. When bacteria become resistant to first line treatments, the risk of complications and death is increased. The fail re of first line antibiotics also means that doctors ha$e to resort to less con$entional medications, many of which are more costly and associated with more.serio s side effects. 9or instance, the dr gs needed to treat dr g. resistant forms of t berc losis (T!) are m ch more e'pensi$e than are the dr gs sed to treat nonresistant T!. The co rse of treatment is long 6 p to two years 6 and the side effects can be se$ere