When you have a sore throat or cold you might head straight to the doctor and are sent home with antibiotics. Within a day or two, you start feeling better and are forever grateful for these magic pills. We want to get better as quickly as possible. Lots of us don’t have the time to fully recover naturally from our illnesses and need to get back to work or school.
Antibiotics are one of the most significant advances in medicine. They have saved millions of lives and humans started surviving infections and illnesses that were once deadly. Antibiotics are medicines that are used to kill infections caused by bacteria. They stop the growth and destroy bad bacteria.
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However, the more we take them, the more likely we are building an antibiotic resistance. They stop working. Doctors are at a standstill and there is really nothing they can do to treat their patient successfully. It has become a huge obstacle in modern medicine. Scientists must come up with new antibiotics that our bodies have not built up resistance to.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year in the United States 2 million people get an antibiotic-resistant infection, and at least 23,000 people die.
Some ways to minimize risk for infections that might require antibiotics are:
1. Practice proper hand washing. Including after using the toilet, touching animals, before and after eating, and if you are caring for someone who is sick.
2. Tell your doctor right away if you have early symptoms of an infection.
3. Use Antibiotics the correct way.
4. Get vaccinated
5. Practice safe sexual intercourse.
A lot of the time doctors prescribe antibiotics when their patients could get over their illness on their own with rest and time. Don’t get too angry the next time you go to the doctor and they don’t immediately hand you a prescription for antibiotics. They could be saving your life. Take the time to slow down and recover.