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Here you can find info about Antibiotics online.
Antibiotics are drugs derived wholly or partially from certain microorganisms and are used to treat bacterial or fungal infections.
Used properly, antibiotics can save lives. They either kill bacteria or keep them from reproducing. Your body's natural defenses can usually take it from there.
Antibiotics do not fight infections caused by viruses, such as:Colds,Sore throats, unless caused by strep,flu,bronchitis
If a virus is making you sick, taking antibiotics may do more harm than good. Each time you take antibiotics, you increase the chances that bacteria in your body will be able to resist them. Later, you could get or spread an infection that those antibiotics cannot cure.
Side effects
Possible side effects are varied, depending on the antibiotics used and the microbial organisms targeted. Adverse effects can range from fever and nausea to major allergic reactions including photodermatitis.
One of the more common side effects is diarrhea, sometimes caused by the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium difficile, which results from the antibiotic disrupting the normal balance of the intestinal flora,
Such overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria may be alleviated by ingesting probiotics during a course of antibiotics.An antibiotic-induced disruption of the population of the bacteria normally present
as constituents of the normal vaginal flora may also occur, and may lead to overgrowth of yeast species of the genus Candida in the vulvo-vaginal area.
Other side effects can result from interaction with other drugs, such as elevated risk of tendon damage from administration of a quinolone antibiotic with a systemic corticosteroid.
Hypothetically, some antibiotics might interfere with the efficiency of birth control pills. However there have been no conclusive studies that proved that;
on the contrary, the majority of the studies indicate that antibiotics do not interfere with contraception, even though there is a possibility that a small percentage of women
may experience decreased effectiveness of birth control pills while taking an antibiotic.
How Taken
Combinations of antibiotics are sometimes needed to treat severe infections, particularly in the first days when the bacterium's sensitivity to antibiotics is not known. Combinations are also important for certain infections in which the bacterium rapidly develops resistance to a single antibiotic. Infections caused by more than one bacterium, in which each bacterium is susceptible to a different antibiotic, are also treated with a combination of antibiotics.
Antibiotics and alcohol
Alcohol can interfere with the activity or metabolization of antibiotics.It may affect the activity of liver enzymes, which break down the antibiotics.
Moreover, certain antibiotics, including metronidazole, tinidazole, co-trimoxazole, cephamandole, ketoconazole, latamoxef,
cefoperazone, cefmenoxime, and furazolidone, chemically react with alcohol, leading to serious side effects, which include severe vomiting,
nausea, and shortness of breath. Alcohol consumption while taking such antibiotics is therefore explicitly prohibited. Additionally, serum levels
of doxycycline and erythromycin succinate may, in certain circumstances, be significantly reduced by alcohol consumption
Antibiotic Resistance
Bacteria, like all living organisms, change over time in response to environmental challenges. Because of the widespread use and misuse of antibiotics
in modern society, bacteria are constantly exposed to these agents. Although many bacteria die when exposed to antibiotics, some develop resistance
to the drugs' effects. For example, 50 years ago the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus (a common cause of skin infections)
was very sensitive to penicillin. Over time, strains of Staphylococcus aureus developed an enzyme able to break down penicillin,
making the drug ineffective. Researchers responded by developing a form of penicillin that the enzyme could not split, but after a few years
the bacteria adapted and became resistant to even this modified penicillin. Other bacteria have developed resistance to antibiotics
using different mechanisms.Medical researchers continually work to ensure that there are effective drugs to combat bacteria.
Taking antibiotics only when necessary (not for viral infections such as a cold or the flu) and for the full prescribed course helps limit the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
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