Antibiotics have revolutionized medical practice, allowing previously fatal infections to be treated and other medical breakthroughs such as chemotherapy treatment of cancer and organ transplants to be made. Leptospirosis, impetigo (a bacterial skin infection), pneumonia, gonorrhea, and urinary tract infections are just a few examples of serious infections that have been successfully treated with antibiotics. Antibiotics treat a variety of infectious diseases by either killing the causative organisms, which are bacteria, or preventing the bacteria from reproducing. Antibiotics are ineffective against infectious diseases that are not caused by bacteria - including infections caused by viruses. Measles, colds and flu, herpes, and chickenpox are examples of viral infections.
Often, the effects of antibiotics proceed within a short period of time after usage. Although these drugs may need to be consumed for a week or longer, people may feel better after just 24 hours. In most cases, the disease will no longer be considered contagious at this point.
Unfortunately, determining whether an infection is caused by bacteria can be difficult at times (versus a virus, or less commonly, a fungus). Also, it's frequently difficult to determine the specific bacteria responsible for an infection, which will influence a doctor's antibiotic selection.
It's also hard to distinguish between flu-like viruses and bacterial infections because their symptoms are similar. Some patients, feeling unsure or frustrated, ask their doctor to recommend an antibiotic without understanding if they really need it.
In the US, unnecessary prescription of antibiotics has become a critical issue, as this drug class accounts for about 30 percent of all prescriptions (or 47 million prescriptions) each year. Not only is this unjustified, but it is also dangerous for two reasons.
Antibiotics, like other medications, can trigger an allergic reaction or other unpleasant side effects. Taking these medications may unreasonably expose a person to these risks, with no apparent benefit. Antibiotics may cause dizziness, nausea, rash, diarrhea, and tendonitis (inflammation of the tendons), among other side effects.
The explanation for this is straightforward - not all bacteria in the body are harmful. In fact, the majority of bacteria living in the body play an important role in health and well-being. Bacteria can be found on your skin, inside your mouth, and throughout your digestive tract. Only a few bacteria species, including some found naturally on or in the body, have the ability to make people sick.
Incorrect antibiotic use puts symbiotic (beneficial) bacteria in jeopardy and may result in the eradication of a significant percentage of these vital microbes. Whenever this occurs, the body's natural defenses are weakened.
Second, bacteria have the potential of adapting, evolving, and becoming resistant to antibiotics whenever they are exposed to these drugs. Antibiotics are overused or misused when they are not taken as prescribed, doses are skipped, or the entire course of treatment is not completed, which allows more bacteria to develop immunity against the drug, and making them more difficult to kill.
Concerns have been raised by scientists that the increase in the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria will undo the progress made against bacterial infections over the past seven decades, due to a lack of new antibiotics in development. The increased risk of difficult-to-treat infections may complicate common injuries and routine surgeries, such as joint replacements, in the long run.
Approximately two million people in the US contract infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria each year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 23,000 people have died as a result of these so-called superbugs. According to a report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in November 2018, that number will reach 30,000 by 2050 (OECD). If left unchecked, drug-resistant infections are expected to drain $100 trillion from the global economy over the next three decades.
