World Antibiotic Awareness Week is this week and professionals from Newman Regional Health are advocating to inform the public on the benefits and consequences of the use of antibiotics.
Antibiotics are drugs that fight infections that are caused by bacteria by killing them off or by making it harder to grow and multiply. Antibiotics are very useful in the medical field, but the overuse and misuse of them can lead to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Infection Preventionist Ester Knobloch explains ways this can occur.
Healthcare professionals are now warning against the prescription of antibiotics unless necessary. Pharmacy Director Ashley Edwards says antibiotics are quite beneficial when used properly.
Knobloch, Edwards, and APRN Hospitalist Zebida Lisso agree that this has become a more prevalent issue due to the unnecessary use of antibiotics for illnesses they cannot treat such as viral infections, bronchitis, and some sinus and ear infections. Lisso lists five questions to ask your health professional before accepting a prescription for antibiotics.
- Do I really need this antibiotic?
- Can I get better without this antibiotic?
- What are the side effects or drug interactions that I can expect?
- What are the side effects that I should be reporting to my healthcare provider?
- How do you know what kind of infections I have? I understand that antibiotics won’t work on viral infections.
The Center for Disease Control says around 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur every year leading to 35,000 deaths. This comes down to a new infection every 11 seconds and a death every 15 minutes. There are some alternatives to antibiotics to help alleviate the symptoms of viral infections including remaining rested, drinking lots of water, using a cool-mist vaporizer, drinking herbal tea & honey, using a nasal spray, and taking ibuprofen. For more information on antibiotics and if they’re appropriate for your sickness, contact your health provider.
