Daily Chat with Dr Brighton Chireka Antibiotics are not always the answer Overuse of antibiotics may be bad for your health so I urge you to think carefully before seeking an antibiotic from your doctor. Antibiotics are important medicines for treating bacterial infections in both humans and animals. They are prescribed for a variety of ailments, from a chest infection to infected ingrowing toenail. The worrying thing is that antibiotics are losing their effectiveness at an increasing rate. Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to patients safety. Overusing antibiotics can affect the body’s natural ability to fight infection and make people more likely to develop infections, including more serious ones. I am not discouraging people from using antibiotics if they do have an infection that needs treating. But many people think they need antibiotics for a cold or cough. Antibiotics should not be used for simple coughs and colds. And patients should not expect their doctor to prescribe them. If you are prescribed an antibiotic, it’s important to use them in the right way, taking them as prescribed and never saving them for later or sharing with others. Bacteria can adapt and find ways to survive the effects of an antibiotic. They become ‘antibiotic resistant’, so that the antibiotic no longer works. The more you use an antibiotic, the more bacteria become resistant to it. I urge you not to use antibiotics inappropriately including not taking your antibiotics as prescribed, skipping doses, and not taking antibiotics at regular intervals. Many antibiotics are prescribed and used for mild infections when they don’t need to be. Many coughs, colds, sore throats, earache and sinus infections will clear without the need for antibiotics. My message is: Don’t ask for antibiotics, consider alternatives to antibiotics and ask a pharmacist about over the counter remedies that can help in the first instance. Stay healthy till we meet for another chat on Monday as there is no daily chat on weekends. Dr Brighton Chireka GP and Patient Engagement Advocate
Posted on: Fri, 19 Dec 2014 08:03:02 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015