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Antibiotics: Either Beneficial or Harmful?

Doctors predict that in a few years mankind can start over treating infectious diseases because two most valuable inventions of mankind in pharmacology – antibiotics and vaccines – in the enlightened XXI century are surrounded by myths and prejudices.

Canadian Pharmacy antibiotic is a substance, mainly of natural origin, which is produced as a rule by fungi. They kill or inhibit bacteria growth that causes pneumonia, sepsis, meningitis and are absolutely useless against viruses – causative agents of A.R.V.I., influenza, hepatitis A, varicella, rubeola and other diseases.

The invention of the first antibiotic – benzylpenicillin, or just penicillin, in 1928 was the accidental discovery by Alexander Fleming, who discovered that staphylococci culture was destroyed by mold fungi bacteria. However, antibiotics mass production began only 17 years later – in 1945. Next kinds of antibiotics were no long a result of «scientific shoot in the dark», but determined by microflora – a particular type of bacteria predominance at the moment. Now antibiotics have about 30 classes of drugs and about 150-180 original drugs. However, new antibiotics production came to a deadlock: over the last 10 years, there were only 2-3 new drugs released.

Why do Antibiotics Become Ineffective?

The main problem is antibiotics resistance development and appearance of 5-7 bacteria, recalcitrant to treatment with existing drugs, such as:

  • Pseudomonas Aureginosa;
  • Staphylococcus Aureus;
  • Streptococcus Pneumoniae and others.

Medicaments

Bacteria resistance to antibiotics development is a result of inefficient drugs use – both by doctors and patients because long-term antibiotics intake (especially at low dosage) causes bacteria drug resistance.

Antibiotics Side Effects

All antibiotics have side effects that are not always familiar to doctors because in some cases they are barely noticeable and do not cause significant harm to health. But some people do not to pay attention even to absolutely obvious side effects.

For example,

  • Gentamicin (referred to aminoglycosides of II generation) has two serious side effects — oto- and nephrotoxicity. Gentamicin can accumulate in middle ear tissues and kidneys. On the one hand, it can effectively treat diseases of these organs, but on the other hand, they cause serious complications – irreversible deafness and reversible kidney damage. Therefore, as possible it’s better to choose another antibiotics group – not aminoglycosides, but, for example, cephalosporins. The similar ototoxic effect has vancomycin – antibiotic of tricyclic glycopeptides group.
  • Antibiotics of tetracycline group do not cause deafness, unlike aminoglycosides, but 100% of men suffer from spermatogenesis disorder (sperm cells production), which may be cured, or may not. Tetracycline antibiotics are among the most toxic: they cause anosteoplasia and teeth disorders. Even at a local application as an ointment, particularly at children, can cause such disorders.
  • The least toxic antibiotics are penicillins and macrolide antibiotics. But this does not mean that they are absolutely safe.

Antibiotics toxic effect is dose-dependent. This means that the longer the period of drug intake and the greater the dosage, the more likely side effects appear. Therefore, the most important concept when taking antibiotics is faithful adherence to medication intake frequency and duration.

What Remains Unmentioned

Most patients taking antibiotics, one way or another, heard that during this period it is better to abstain from alcohol consumption. The thing is that antibiotics administration simultaneously with alcohol can not only reduce drugs effectiveness but also cause severe side effects, including death.

Antibiotics for Children – Unfavourable Business

Another problem of antibiotics use remains lack of pediatric formulations.

Medications are a business. And since main antibiotics consumers are still adults, pharmaceutical companies do not produce pediatric formulations since it is unprofitable. As a result, «adult» pill is divided in half and given to a child. However, in this case, drug effectiveness may simply fade away.

Antibiotics + Probiotic = Waste of Money

One of the most unpleasant antibiotics side effects symptoms, the even proper administration is diarrhea. Advertisement and doctors tell that from the first day of medication intake it’s necessary to take drugs for restoring intestinal microflora. However, it often turns out that they just make patients buy useless medicines.

pills

Diarrhea, caused by antibiotics, is a side effect of drug action. Intestinal tract and entire body are inhabited by bacteria, most of them are anaerobic microorganisms. Antibiotics destroy pathogenic bacteria together with beneficial ones, causing short-term diarrhea.

A healthy body is able to restore the microflora independently without external intervention. However, it is easier to think that drugs will do it better and faster. Probiotics, which are recommended to be taken with antibiotics are also bacteria, they can also be destroyed by antibiotics. Therefore, the probiotic drug should be selected strictly in accordance with an antibiotic activity.