what are antibiotics, how they work, potential side effects, and antibiotic resistance.
Shem Ishaya
Antibiotics are medications that destroy or slow down the growth of bacteria. Doctors prescribe them to treat bacterial infections. They do this by killing bacteria and preventing them from multiplying.
They include a range of powerful drugs used to treat diseases caused by bacteria.
Antibiotics cannot treat viral infections, such as cold, flu, and most coughs.
How do antibiotics work?
There are different types of antibiotics, which work in their unique way. However, the two main they work include:
A bactericidal antibiotic, such as penicillin, kills the bacteria. These drugs usually interfere with either the formation of the bacterial cell wall or its cell contents.
A bacteriostatic stops bacteria from multiplying.
It may take a few hours or days after taking the first dose before people feel better or their symptoms improve.
Why is it important to take antibiotics when needed?
Experts advise using antibiotics only when they are needed. This is to ensure that the bacteria is killed and is unable to multiply and spread to other parts of the body.
Also, antibiotic use can sometimes be associated with side effects and antibiotic resistance.
What do antibiotics treat?
A doctor prescribes antibiotics for the treatment of a bacterial infection. It is not effective against viruses.
Knowing whether an infection is bacterial or viral helps to treat it effectively.
Viruses cause most upper respiratory tract infections, such as the common cold and flu. Antibiotics do not work against these viruses.
If people overuse antibiotics or use them incorrectly, the bacteria might become resistant. This means that the antibiotic becomes less effective against that type of bacterium, as the bacterium has been able to improve its defenses.
A doctor can prescribe a broad-spectrum antibiotic to treat a wide range of infections. A narrow-spectrum antibiotic is only effective against a few types of bacteria.
Some antibiotics attack aerobic bacteria, while others work against anaerobic bacteria. Aerobic bacteria need oxygen, and anaerobic bacteria do not.
In some cases, a healthcare professional may provide antibiotics to prevent — rather than treat — infection, as might be the case before surgery. This is the “prophylactic” use of antibiotics. People commonly use these antibiotics before bowel and orthopedic surgery.
antibiotics before bowel and orthopedic surgery.
Learn more about aerobic and anaerobic bacteria.
Side effects
Antibiotics commonly cause the following side effects:
diarrhea
nausea
vomiting
rash
upset stomach
sensitivity to sunlight, when taking tetracyclines
with certain antibiotics or prolonged use, fungal infections of the mouth, digestive tract, and vagina
Some unusual side effects of antibiotics include:
low platelet count, when taking cephalosporins, and penicillins, among others
severe aches and pains, when taking fluoroquinolones
hearing loss, when taking macrolides or aminoglycosides
low granulocyte — a type of WBC — count, when taking penicillin
formation of kidney stones, when taking sulfonamides.
