Antibacterial preparations based on antibiotics have become a global discovery and a real panacea for mankind. Their appearance helped to significantly reduce the death rate from many diseases, including those that were considered severe and incurable. Today, the opinions of experts are divided: the benefit or harm of antibiotics should be put at the forefront when choosing a therapeutic regimen.
The action of antibacterial drugs
The fact that a person lives in the world of bacteria has long been known. Many microorganisms have a beneficial effect on human life, but they can also be harmful, especially those. that can enter the body. Antibiotics can deal a strong blow to pathogenic bacteria. These strains of microorganisms have been isolated for this very purpose and have proven their effectiveness in practice.
With drugsantimicrobial series successfully cured complex, almost fatal pathologies, including sepsis, pneumonia, meningococcal infections. But along with the undeniable benefits, the harm of antibiotics for the body is also obvious and manifests itself in aggressive intervention not only in the vital activity of pathogenic microbes, but also in the total elimination of beneficial microflora, primarily the intestines.
Especially difficult consequences experts consider:
- irritation of the mucous membranes of the stomach and intestines;
- complex imbalances in the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract;
- disturbances in the functioning of the kidneys, liver, gallbladder;
- severe allergic reactions;
- disorders of the nervous system, manifested in vestibular disorders.
Uncontrolled use of antibacterial drugs
The wide popularity of antibacterial drugs and their undeniable effectiveness have led many patients to practice uncontrolled use of antibiotics. Especially often cases of self-treatment were recorded among people who successfully make a career and do not have time for a full examination and correction of the treatment regimen. To quickly get rid of the symptoms of the disease, the patient begins to take antibiotics on his own, the harm and benefits are not taken into account at all.
Pathological conditions that are caused by viruses cannot be treated with antibacterial drugs, so the decision on antibiotic therapy should be made by the doctor based on the nature of the pathological process. Uncontrolled use of antibiotics in such cases is notonly will not benefit, but can cause irreparable harm to the body.
Indications for antibiotic treatment
Antibiotic therapy is considered appropriate for the following conditions:
- Bacterial pathological processes of the nasopharynx: sinusitis, sinusitis, tonsillitis, diphtheria.
- Infectious pathologies of the skin and mucous membranes.
- Complex diseases of the respiratory system: deep and prolonged bronchitis, pneumonia.
- Infections of the genitourinary system caused by various pathogens and bacterial agents.
- Renal pathological processes.
- Intestinal dysfunctions of a bacterial nature.
In the treatment of viral infections, antibiotics are prescribed only if the disease is complicated by an associated bacterial infection, and the harm of antibiotics is comparable to the benefit to the body as a whole.
Safe reception rules
In order for the treatment with antibacterial drugs to be as effective as possible and not provoke complications, experts have developed a number of recommendations on how to take antibiotics without harm to he alth:
- When taking an antibacterial drug, you should strictly follow the dosage prescribed by your doctor. In the pharmacy chain, the range of drugs is quite wide, therefore, when purchasing an antibiotic, you should follow its dosage.
- Before taking, you should additionally carefully study the instructions, as in the listcontraindications may be a history of pathology that the attending doctor did not take into account.
- You should not practice taking antibiotics on an empty stomach, as the harm of antibiotics to the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines has long been a proven fact.
- The medicine should be taken with a sufficient amount of water - this will minimize the destructive effect of agents on the mucous membrane.
Exceptions and additions to the treatment rules
In order for antibacterial therapy to be effective and not harm he alth, experts recommend taking into account a number of exceptions and additions to treatment.
- Alcohol, intake of sorbents and drugs that thin the blood are excluded for the period of antibiotic therapy.
- After the improvement in the condition and the removal of the symptoms of the pathology, one should not arbitrarily stop taking it, since bacteria that are not completely suppressed will quickly develop resistance to the drug, and further treatment will be ineffective.
- The harm of taking antibiotics is minimized by using probiotics, preparations with lactobacilli. Doctors prescribe to their patients a regimen according to which these drugs should be taken during the entire period of treatment and for some time after the end of therapy.
- Since antibacterial agents can suppress the immune system, when treating with antibiotics, do not forget about taking immunomodulators and vitamin complexes.
Treating children with antibiotics
Childhood diseases andInfections scare parents, so they are ready to get rid of them as quickly and effectively as possible, which is why they ask doctors to prescribe antibacterial drugs, despite the known harm of antibiotics for children.
Some childhood diseases are indeed treatable only with antibacterial action. Doctors practice antibiotic therapy in the treatment of childhood diseases in the following cases:
- with angina;
- otite;
- pneumonia and severe bronchitis;
- inflammatory pathologies of the urinary system.
Rules for the treatment of babies
The question of treating a baby with antibiotics is taken by a pediatrician, he also selects a therapeutic drug and dosage for a small patient, discusses with parents the question of how to take antibiotics correctly without harm to the child's body.
- It is important to strictly follow the dosage and frequency of taking the drug prescribed by the doctor.
- The recommended duration of antibiotic use should be respected.
- Baby is not given antibiotics at the same time as antihistamines.
- Strictly adhere to the diet and feeding principles recommended by the doctor during treatment.
Risk of side effects
Do not ignore the side effects that antibiotics cause. Harm to the body is manifested against the background of the fact that antimicrobial drugs are designed to target pathogenic bacteria, while nottheir impact on beneficial microflora is also excluded.
When prescribing antibiotics to their patients, doctors take into account the possible negative consequences of taking them for the body, which may occur:
- in severe fetal malformations in pregnant women, especially in the first two trimesters of pregnancy;
- in he alth problems and intestinal microbiota in infants whose mothers take antibiotics;
- in severe allergic reactions in the form of rash, itching, swelling;
- in cerebral disorders, dysfunctions of the vestibular apparatus;
- in malfunctions of the liver, gallbladder, biliary dysfunction.
Doctors also diagnose endocrine disruptions in their patients against the background of simultaneous use of antibiotics and steroid drugs. Complex failures of the immune system can also provoke antibiotics. The harm and benefits of treatment with such drugs must be taken into account by the attending doctor, therefore, the decision on the tactics of therapy should be entrusted to specialists, not allowing self-treatment.
Conditions for the effective use of antibiotics
Despite the cautious attitude towards antibiotic-based drugs, it is very difficult to argue about their undoubted benefits. Those pathologies that were difficult to cure are amenable to therapeutic correction with antibiotics. Modern drugs created on a synthetic basis are relatively safe if the rules for taking them are followed.
Take antibiotics without harm tothe body is possible, if you follow a number of simple rules:
- Before deciding on antibiotic treatment, you should always consult your doctor and strictly follow his prescriptions for dosage and duration of use.
- Strictly observe the time of taking the drug, thereby ensuring its constant level in the body.
- Do not stop taking the drug on your own, even if you feel better.
It should also be borne in mind that the same antibiotics can be sold by a pharmacy chain under different commercial names. Before purchasing any medications prescribed by a doctor, it is worthwhile to find out if they are drugs of the same therapeutic range.
