Antibiotics - When Should We Take Them? By Dr. Katie Greeley B.S., D.C.The consequences of antibiotics: Almost everyone has had
at least one round of antibiotics and for some it is a regular occurrence. As a society we need to stop and think about what consequences our actions might bring:
- Is there another alternative to always taking antibiotics?
- Do we actually need antibiotics every time we walk through the clinic door?
This article is not to say that antibiotics are not necessary, it is in fact an article to better educate the average individual to know when antibiotic use is absolutely necessary. Antibiotics and how they work: Let's first look back to the history of the "miracle
bullets" with a quote from Herbert Spencer " When once you interfere with the order of nature, there is no knowing where the results will end."An antibiotic is a drug that kills or slows the growth of bacteria.
Before the discovery of antibiotics substances like arsenic were used to kill off infections. Typically antibiotics target the bacteria without harming the host. However, according to Dr. Steven Gelone,
Associate Professor of Pharmacy and Medicine at Temple University School of Pharmacy and Medicine, "One of the lies regarding antibiotic therapy is that they are nontoxic drugs. It is important to realize
that 20% of patients who require medical care have a history of an adverse drug reaction. All of these occurrences cause morbidity and many lead directly to hospital admission." The effectiveness of individual
antibiotics varies based on the location of the infection, the ability of the antibiotic to reach the site of infection, and the ability of the bacteria to resist or inactivate the antibiotic. Antibiotics can either
kill the bacteria (bactericidal), or prevent the bacteria from multiplying (bacteriostatic) so that the host's immune system can overcome them. Some possible side effects range from fever and nausea to major allergic
reactions. One of the more common side effects is diarrhea, which results from the antibiotic disrupting the normal balance of intestinal flora.
Misuse of antibiotics: Unfortunately we have used antibiotics for just about everything and thus have created widespread resistance
to antibiotics. The common misuse of antibiotics includes taking them in inappropriate situations such as for viral flus and colds. Another example of misuse is the failure to take the entire prescribed
course of the antibiotic, usually because the patient starts to feel better before the infecting bacteria is completely gone. Excessive use of antibiotics in travelers may also be classified as misuse. Misuse and
treatment failure can lead to antibiotic resistance.In the United States, vast quantities of certain antibiotics are routinely included as low doses in the diet of some kinds of healthy farm animals, where this
practice has been shown to make animals grow faster. "Humans can contract antibiotic-resistant infections from animals used for food," states a study panel from the National Academy of Science.
"Almost 25 million pounds of antibiotics are used in animals each year - 80 percent to help them grow faster, not treat disease!" Thanks to today's modern factory farming techniques, E. coli, a benign and
important symbiotic bacteria found in the gastrointestinal tract of humans and most animals is mutating and becoming pathogenic. Salmonella bacteria now live in the ovaries of most of the United States chicken stocks.
Eggs these chickens lay are subsequently contaminated and proving to be much more pathogenic than medical researchers expected. Most organic farms fortunately do not practice the injection of antibiotics into
their livestock. In 1946 there were only 723 cases of salmonella food poisoning in the United States. By 1986, salmonella was estimated to be sickening over 150,000 people per year. In fact the Centers for Disease
Control estimates that between 800,000 and 4-million people get sick with salmonella, and that 500 people die each year.
Page 2 - The fine line between viral and bacterial infection:
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