Important facts you should know about antibiotics

Flu season is just around the corner. If you have started coughing, sneezing and feeling stuffy, you might be wondering: Should I get antibiotics now?

Well, you need to know that the answer is not always “yes“!

Feeling sick, exhausted and out of sorts is irritating to say the least. This is why most people seek relief in the form of pills. However, the truth of the matter is, pills are not always the right solution for you. When it comes to antibiotics, overusing them is a major problematic issue.

But how do you know when to take an antibiotic and when to wait it out? Below you will find the answers you need before your next doctor’s visit.

Must-know antibiotics facts:

• They don’t work for everything

Taking an antibiotic is crucial when you have a bacterial infection. However, it won’t work for any viral infections. So if you have a common cold or the flu, taking an antibiotic is unnecessary as it won’t relieve you from your symptoms.

When you feel sick and visit your doctor, you need to be specific about the symptoms you are experiencing. This helps your doctor decide which type of infection you have and the necessary medication you need.

For example: Having a high fever, severe facial pain as well as nasal discharge are all signs of  a bacterial infection. On the other hand, a stuffy head combined with a low grade fever are usually signs of a viral infection. 

When you have a viral infection, the right course of action is easing your symptoms while your body fights the virus.

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• They can do more harm than good

The biggest problem with overusing antibiotics is that bacteria can adapt to them. Over time, bacteria can become resistant making it harder to treat them. Actually, in some rare cases, this can cause fatal drug-resistant bacterial infections.

Moreover, this overuse can make it harder for your doctor to find a medicine that works for you. On a broader level, however, it can allow for infections to spread before you can find a cure to stop them.

• They are not a one-size-fits-all solution

Different antibiotics work for treating different infections. So the antibiotic you take to treat a urinary infection is different from that you will need for fighting a strep throat. In hospitals, they use broad-spectrum antibiotics that are not the same as the ones your doctors prescribes.

Here’s the catch though: taking the wrong medication will not solve the problem. Add to that a list of unpleasant side effects that can put your health and body at risk.

This is why you need to know which antibiotic works for you and not randomly take just anything hoping it will make you feel better.

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• You should never save old antibiotics

Finally, and this one is very important, you should never ever keep antibiotics for later use just in case you need them later. For one thing, different bacterial infections need different treatments. This means that you can’t just assume the same medication will work this time.

Moreover, if you take an antibiotic when you have a cold and your symptoms get better with time, time is what helped you get well not the antibiotic. You just risked side effects and future drug resistance for no good reason.

With that said, you should definitely take antibiotics when you truly need them and your doctor prescribes them for you. You just need to make sure your doctor is cautious about what to give you and when.

Please share this post with your family, friends and loved ones to help them better understand antibiotics, their benefits, risks and their side effects. 

The post What Do You Need to Know About Antibiotics? appeared first on The Global Now.