How to use antibiotics wisely

One of the most abused classes of drugs all over the world are antibiotics. This occurs however because most people often resort to them at every slightest health hitch be it typhoid, common cold etc. But it's not just about using these drug, the problem lies in the ability of a person to use them appropriately.

Like I clearly pointed out in my previous post, antibiotics do not work for viral infections and when people take these drugs when they have viral infections, they end up exposing their system too much to the drugs and eventually become resistant to it.

Another major way of abusing antibiotics commonly practiced by people is "incomplete dosage".. When taking an antibiotic, it is a MUST to finish the dosage. If the individual stops the dosage halfway for any reason, there is great risk of an even deadlier microbial attack. This is because the microbes require the complete dose to be finished off, so when the dose taken is not enough, some of the strains of the bacteria would survive and become even a stronger army than they were initially!

Nevertheless, here are some of the tips to effectively use antibiotics;

1. Always take the complete dose of antibiotics as prescribed by a physician.

2. Do not take "left over" antibiotics or drugs that were initially prescribed for someone else.

3. Do not store antibiotics.. If you're done with treatment and you still have some tablets left, do well to dispose them appropriately. Drugs that have overstayed put the consumer at great risk.

4. You must not take antibiotics for every microbial infection. Sometimes, try to treat the symptoms! There are certain illnesses/diseases that must complete its course once started and taking antibiotics would never relief you of them, so don't bother your system with too much drugs!!!

5. Always change the product of antibiotics you're using. By so doing, if by chance the microbes are becoming resistant, you will be able to surprise them with a new drug component.

6. Avoid taking antibiotics for the wrong reasons.. If it's a viral infection such as common cold, then you don't need antibiotics!.. Why?? Because the viruses that cause such diseases are not "living things" and antibiotics work solely for "living organisms".

7. Lastly, always meet a doctor for proper prescription. Most antibiotics have their pre-indications/side effects and the effectiveness also depends on your diagnosis. So it's best to get professional help before choosing which antibiotics is good for you.

I hope this piece helps someone here and also informs us better on the effective use of antibiotics. I would welcome any questions in the comment section.

Until we meet in my next post, stay healthy and use antibiotics wisely!