What You Need to Know About Correct Antibiotic Use

Antibiotics only work for diseases caused by bacteria, that is, they cannot treat diseases caused by other factors such as viruses and fungi. Under normal conditions, beneficial bacteria are present in the body and these bacteria do not cause disease in people with normal immunity.

What is Antibiotic?

Antibiotics are drugs prescribed by a doctor to prevent the growth of pathogenic bacteria that are harmful to the body and kill them. Antibiotics only work for diseases caused by bacteria, that is, they cannot treat diseases caused by other factors such as viruses and fungi. Under normal conditions, beneficial bacteria are present in the body and these bacteria do not cause disease in people with normal immunity.
Bacteria that come from outside, harmful to the body, exceed the immune system and cause disease in people. The choice of antibiotic is decided by the doctor according to the structure of the bacterium that causes the disease, by performing tests when necessary, according to the patient's condition.

Another important issue; It is the decision of the dose that will be suitable for the patient as well as the choice of antibiotic. Many factors such as the patient's weight and age are important in determining the dose.

How Should the Correct Antibiotic Use Be?

The most important point about antibiotic treatment is that this treatment is personal. Considering two people with the same disease symptoms, the antibiotic treatment prescribed for one may not be suitable for the other symptomatic person. Again, after the appropriate treatment is started, it is important for the patient to use the antibiotic prescribed specifically for him, for the time that the doctor and pharmacist told him, that is, to comply with the duration of the treatment.
The appropriate time to use antibiotics in the fight against microbes that cause disease in the body is as critical as its selection and dosage. When this situation is not taken seriously, for example, when the patient quits the antibiotic before completing the treatment because he feels well during the treatment period, the microorganism that has decreased in number in the body begins to multiply again and/or a new generation of microorganisms resistant to the chemical formula of the antibiotic that has been left unfinished develops. Basic principles of correct antibiotic use:

• Only in bacterial infections
• The dose and duration of antibiotics determined by the physician should be used.
• Antibiotics directed against the agent (microorganism) and whose area of ​​action is not unnecessarily large should be used in the treatment of bacterial infection.
• As antibiotics reduce the normal flora of the intestine, it is more appropriate to take them together with pro- or prebiotics. Thus, it will be ensured that the intestinal flora is affected at least in the least amount during the treatment. Kidneys are our two important organs where all chemicals entering the body are processed and the toxins accumulated after body reactions are removed from the body through urine. Antibiotic therapy should be given at a reduced dose in patients with liver and/or kidney disease.

  What is Antibiotic Resistance?

  Bacteria are constantly expanding their resistance mechanisms against existing antibiotics, and effective antibiotic therapy either becomes less effective or completely loses its effectiveness. The concept of antibiotic resistance refers to the fact that the microorganism cannot be prevented from multiplying and become indestructible despite the use of antibiotics. The development of resistance of microbes has accelerated due to reasons such as the use of special antibiotics called broad-spectrum, although it is not a factor for protective purposes only. This is especially important in places where most patients are present and treated, such as hospitals.
  Antibiotic resistance is clinically important because the disease caused by resistant bacteria cannot be easily controlled; the duration of treatment is prolonged; the patient's life may be in danger due to the disease caused by the bacteria or other diseases to be added; treatment costs increase and the disease picture generally worsens.
  The significant decrease in the number of newly developed antibiotics in the last 20 years means that an antibiotic can be used by humans. The fact that bacteria have to go through long working stages in order to reach the next stage and the ability of bacteria to transfer the resistance codes they have learned to the next generations has brought to the agenda the avoidance of unnecessary antibiotic use.

  What are the Harms of Overuse of Antibiotics?

  Using it for an insufficient amount of time as well as for a long time can create a great risk for patients treated with antibiotics. Antibiotics, like other drugs, have multiple side effects, and some of them can cause huge problems. One of the most common side effects is that it destroys the beneficial bacteria that already exist in the body and does not make the person sick. These harmless bacteria are called flora. For example, there are many helpful bacteria in the intestinal flora that synthesize vitamin K and are responsible for the digestion and absorption of the nutrients. Some antibiotic treatments used in women may disrupt the vaginal flora and cause rapid proliferation of vaginal fungus. Again, as a result of the deterioration of the skin flora on the skin, skin problems can often be seen during the treatment. Infections that occur as a result of the deterioration of the flora balance after the use of antibiotics are called opportunistic infections.

  Are There Any Side Effects of Antibiotic Use?

  With the use of antibiotics, the feeling of fatigue caused by the disease increases. In addition, antibiotics can cause allergic reactions in some people. The most well-known of these is penicillin allergy. Penicillin is an interesting group among antibiotics with the least other side effects and the highest potential to cause allergies. After penicillin is given to an allergic person, it shows obvious symptoms such as respiratory distress, swelling in the throat, itching on the skin, and the person needs urgent intervention.
  
  If the penicillin sensitivity of the person is known, it is decided to choose another antibiotic group, if necessary, by informing the doctor. These include nausea, diarrhea, bloating, indigestion, constipation, vomiting, and diarrhea. Pain is common. The most common “antibiotic-associated diarrhea” is encountered in the clinic. It can be seen in different clinical picture from mild diarrhea to severe fluid and electrolyte imbalance.

  How Does Antibiotic Effect?

  The incidence of colds and flu increases in adults, especially children, especially in the winter season. Hospitals and family physicians are frequently consulted with flu and cold complaints. Especially parents have a misconception that the high fever, runny nose or cough caused by the flu in their children will not go away without the use of antibiotics. They often insist on prescribing antibiotics from physicians. However, it should be known that the source of common winter diseases such as colds, flu and flu are viruses, not bacteria.
  As it is known, antibiotics are only effective on bacteria. The antibiotic used in such a situation does not positively affect the course of the disease and does not cure the disease. The person's own immune system fights the pathogen and improves the symptoms of the disease. Since such situations are not a situation for the patient to decide, a physician must make a decision. Antibiotic therapy, which the patient will initiate by himself, puts the patient at risk due to conditions such as side effects of the antibiotic rather than curing the disease.

  What Should Be Considered While Using Antibiotics?

  If the antibiotic is in pill form, drink it with plenty of water while it is being used. It should be consumed and not taken with any other beverage. Antibiotic taking hours must be followed and if the antibiotic is not taken at the time it should be taken, no overdose should be taken in the next hour. If there are routine medications used for other diseases, the doctor should be informed about them before prescribing antibiotics.
  Antibiotics can also interact with some foods and drugs. For example, contraceptives and antibiotics interact, reducing the effectiveness of the contraceptive pill. Some types of antibiotics cause serious side effects from alcohol use. Such interactions may render treatment prolonged, ineffective. may lead to many consequences. In order to avoid such situations, medication should be used as told by the doctor and pharmacist, and special conditions should be followed carefully during treatment.

  Use of Antibiotics in Pregnant and Nursing Women

  From the baby's partner (placenta) during pregnancy and from the mother in breastfeeding mothers. Antibiotic molecules pass from the milk to the baby. These molecules cannot be adequately degraded by organ systems such as the liver and kidney, which have not yet reached adequate development, and show toxic effects if they accumulate in the body. For these reasons, pregnant and/or breastfeeding women should not take antibiotics unless deemed necessary by the physician.

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