Antibiotics: Indications, Types, Pros and Cons

What are Antibiotics?

Antibiotics are means for inhibiting the reproduction and growth of bad bacteria. The high concentration of exposure to the cells can not but affect the body, but when it comes to the treatment of dangerous diseases, it is better to soberly assess the risk-benefit of antibiotics.

Strictly following the rules of antibiotics therapy, we can quickly cope with the disease and the damage to health will be minimal. In contrast, uncontrolled antibiotics intake is dangerous, so be aware of the benefits and harms of antibacterial substances – that is particularly important.

Antibiotics: Indications for Use

Antibacterial drugs are prescribed to treat the following diseases:

Infectious diseases of the nasopharynx: sinusitis, sinusitis, diphtheria and others;
Diseases of the skin and mucous membranes: abrasions, severe varieties of acne, folliculitis;
Diseases of the respiratory system: pneumonia;
Genital infections caused by various pathogens;
Kidney disease and urinary tract;
Enteritis and severe poisoning.

WARNING: Antibiotics are NOT effective for treatment of influenza and SARS, as antibiotics kill bacteria, but do not kill viruses. They are prescribed for the treatment of the bacterial infection joint to the viral disease, but only a doctor can do this.

How to Take Antibiotics?

If the doctor considered antibiotics appropriate for your case, the most important thing is to make sure that they bring the maximum benefit and the minimal harm. To do this, regardless of the type of prescribed antibacterial drugs, Canadian Pharmacy Mall recommends study the following guidelines:

One and the same antibiotic can be produced at low and high doses (eg. Zithromax), so when buying medication make sure to buy the drug dose which is prescribed by a physician;
Before use, be sure to read the antibiotic instructions: consult your doctor for advice if your disease is mentioned in the list of antibiotics contraindications;
Do not take antibiotics on an empty stomach to avoid mucosa irritation;
Be sure to drink some water after antibiotics;
Avoid taking alcohol, absorbent and blood-thinning drugs;
Even if the patient’s condition improved immediately, he has to complete the antibiotics course til the end, as bacteria may form antibiotic resistance, and further treatment would be ineffective;
To maintain the normal intestinal microflora, it is recommended to use probiotics drugs with lactobacilli, immunomodulators and vitamin complexes;
Under the conditions of correct intake and compliance with all recommendations, antibiotics are likely to be effective. Do not take antibacterials without doctor’s advice in any case – you may aggravate the disease. Also, follow the antibiotics dosage!

Antibiotics: Harm to the Body

Probably few of us think that the man lives in the world of bacteria. They live both outside and inside of us. Antibiotics do cause a severe blow to pathogenic bacteria, but at the same time cause irreparable harm to the whole organism.

The first antibiotics were of a natural origin, obtained from the molds – penicillin, biomycin. They had a narrow spectrum of activity and did not affect the beneficial microflora. They do not damage the body, as its microflora is already adapted to the substances they contain – for example, moldy food.

Antibiotics of a new generation are of a synthetic origin, they have the broadest spectrum of activity, but kill almost all the bacteria – it is not selective but total elimination of all bacteria in the body (including the beneficial microflora). But at the same pathogenic microflora very quickly adapts to such antibiotics, after 2-3 months there appear new strains that are resistant to these antibiotics.

Useful microflora recovers much more slowly, and it turns out that we only damage our body by killing intestinal flora, which is an integral part of our immune system. The macro body lives in symbiosis with this microflora and practically cannot exist without it.

Thus, antibiotics affect the natural microflora and immunity. And then, there is a possibility for an easy penetration of many pathogens into the body – so, a person may get serious diseases. Therefore, after treatment with antibiotics, the body becomes practically unprotected from various dangerous pathogens.

Side Effects

The most serious consequences are considered:

Malformations of the fetus during pregnancy, so antibiotics are strictly forbidden during 1 and 2 trimesters of pregnancy and are possible only in extreme cases;
The weakening of the immune system and health problems in infants, so antibiotics are not indicated during breastfeeding period;
Irritation of the mucous membranes of the stomach, exacerbation of ulcerative conditions, the imbalance of microflora in the gut;
Disorders of the liver, kidney and gallbladder if you are hypersensitive to antibacterial components;
Severe allergic reactions, accompanied by severe itching, rashes, in rare cases, – swelling;
Violations of the vestibular system functioning, nervous system disorders, accompanied by auditory and visual hallucinations.

Antibiotics are designed for aggressive intervention in the activity of microorganisms. The accuracy of these drugs effect on bacteria is the theme of many researches and development, which has not yet been reached. Therefore, antimicrobial agents from Canadian Health&Care Mall may provoke a number of side effects which may adversely affect the health and well-being.

In some cases, a patient may suffer from individual reactions in the nervous and circulatory systems, liver, kidney and gastrointestinal tract.

Benefits

Despite the serious criticism of antibiotics, they are considered one of the most important discoveries in the history of mankind. Before antibiotics invention, people died of a common cold, but today antibacterial agents are able to cope with serious illnesses which previously were considered incurable.

Pneumonia, tuberculosis, gastrointestinal infections, sexually transmitted diseases, blood infection and postoperative complications – correctly and timely prescribed antimicrobial agents (eg. generic Zithromax) can help cope with these severe conditions, minimizing the risk of complications as far as possible.

In addition, modern antibiotics belonging to the group of synthetic ones, are based on the latest developments: their intake is quite safe and the active antimicrobial component concentration in a single dose of the drug is calculated as accurately as possible. Some antimicrobials even are compatible with alcohol, still, it is not recommended taking such risks. Otherwise, the benefit of antibiotics can turn to harm.

How Dangerous are Uncontrolled Antibiotics Use?

Many experts in medicine are talking about the danger of the excessive use of antibiotics. Due to the rapid development of viruses, there is a risk for resistant flora emergence, which is intractable to new antibiotic agents.

Often antibiotics are prescribed by a doctor for no reason. Antibiotics should be used strictly for the intended purpose and only in such diseases when they are really needed.

Natural Antibiotics

Sometimes it’s difficult to avoid synthetic antibiotics, even if you do not use them during outbreaks of viral diseases, you can unlikely do it in gastronomy. At the present time, they are used for heat treatment, sterilization, filtration of many foods. These are milk and meat, eggs, chicken, cheese, shrimp and even honey.

The meat industry also widely uses antibiotics today so that the animals do not get sick. The so-called “growth hormones” – to increase the speed of growing cattle or poultry. So, you need to interest what meat products you consume. It is advisable to buy meat on farms that do not use synthetic hormones in animal rearing.

Types of Antibiotics

Today, doctors offer the following antibiotics classification:

Penicillins

The material for the production of the drugs are colonies of molds of the same name. They are capable of destroying the cell walls of bacteria and inhibit their ability to live. Antibiotics of this group penetrate deep into the body’s cells and can effectively attack the hidden pathogens. Essential disadvantages of the drug is rapid elimination from the body and the ability of bacteria to form a resistance to penicillins.

Cephalosporins

Broad-spectrum drugs, structurally similar to penicillins. There are three generations of cephalosporins: 1 generation is used for the treatment of diseases of the genitourinary system and upper respiratory tract; 2 generation – to suppress the gastrointestinal infections; 3 generation – to suppress the most severe infections. The disadvantages include the ability of the drug to cause severe allergic reactions.

Macrolides

Drugs with a complex ring structure. Have the ability to destroy the structure of the bacteria responsible for protein synthesis, resulting in the prevention of development and reproduction of microorganisms. Relatively safe and allowed for long-term treatment, although over time microbes can form a resistance to the antibiotic. (for example, Zithromax).

Tetracyclines

Similar to the macrolides by the action, but due to the low selectivity may adversely affect human cells. It is effective in treating a variety of serious infections, but have many side effects. Often used externally as creams and ointments.

Aminoglycosides

They have a broad spectrum of activity, but most often they are used for suppression of serious infectious processes associated with blood poisoning, infected wounds, and burns. Today, they are used rarely because of their high toxicity.

Antifungal Antibiotics

Have active influence on fungi by destroying the cell membrane and leading to their death. Quickly cause the resistance of microorganisms, so gradually superseded by high-performance synthetic drugs.

One and the same antibiotic can be sold under different trade names, there are generic antibiotics, so before you buy all prescription drugs you should accurately determine whether they need to be taken within one course or as options for replacement.