Family Doctor 2007 - (Page 34) feeling great ANTIBIOTICS The fight against resistance If you have an ear infection, you don’t necessarily need to take antibiotics. Do you know when you should take anti-virals rather than antibiotics and how to prevent antibiotic resistance? Read on to find out more. By Susanna E. Guzman Antibiotics are not used to treat viruses, such as those that cause colds or flu. you have a condition caused by a virus. There are some medicines that fight infections caused by viruses, such as HIV and herpes. These medicines are called “anti-virals” and they’re different than antibiotics. To prevent antibiotic resistance, it’s important to use them only when you need them, and to follow your doctor’s instructions about how — and how long — to take them. S ince the 1940s, antibiotics have been used to treat infections caused by bacteria, and they’ve saved millions of lives. But these medicines won’t make you feel better if Why should I worry about antibiotic resistance? If you take antibiotics that can’t fight the bacteria they are supposed to kill, your infection can last longer. Instead of getting better, it might get worse. You might have to make several visits to your doctor’s office. You might have to take different medicines or go to a hospital to get stronger antibiotics given intravenously (through a vein). At the same time, your family members or other people you come into contact with may catch the resistant bacteria that you have. Then these people might also get infections that are hard to treat. What is antibiotic resistance? Because antibiotics have been used a lot, antibiotic resistance has become a common problem. It occurs when the bacteria that make you sick change so that antibiotics can’t fight them anymore. This can happen when the bacteria are repeatedly exposed to the same antibiotics or when the bacteria are left in your body after you have been taking an antibiotic. These bacteria can change in such a way that the same antibiotic that used to kill them doesn’t work in the future. If antibiotics are used unnecessarily, this also contributes to antibiotic resistance. 34 familydoctor 2007 How do I know when I need antibiotics? The answer depends on what is causing your infection. The following are some basic guidelines: Colds and flu. Viruses cause these illnesses. Antibiotics don’t always there for you… For more expert advice on this topic, make sure to visit familydoctor.org http://www.familydoctor.org
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