2006-09-11 21:34:21 · 19 answers · asked by benevolentk 1 in Health ➔ General Health Care ➔ Other - General Health Care
Because you have to make sure the "bug" is dead. If it manages to survive, it can lead to a mutated strain that is harder to kill next time.
2006-09-11 21:37:32 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
where did all you guys get this harder to kill mutant idea... too much tv i think.
OK.. antibiotics hav e to be taken to the end of the course, because testing has shown that, any certain bacteria ect stays active in the body, even with the anti biotic for say 2 weeks....
if in any test, the bacteria, was still present at 4 weeks, well then you would be prescribed a 5 week course. All it is, is a minimum length of time to make sure its all gone
Now all this spiderman mumbo jumbo lol.. mutants etc
In some people, whove had may antibiotic treatments, who have been very sick for many many years, and repeatedly dosed with varios antibiotics, are left super resistant to lots of bugs. Unfortunatly this super resistance, leads to them being only susseptable, to the super bugs.. This is why you dont want to put lots of antibiotics into your system..
So in conclusion 2 reasons
1. dont finish the course, possibly dont kill off the entire infection
and you stay sick
2 if you dont kill off the infection, you have to take more, possibly a different type, maybe stronger, as the bugs left in your system, who werent killed by the first set, are the strongest. This leads to you being targeted by super bugs..
NO MUTANTS - silly americans
2006-09-11 21:46:53 · answer #2 · answered by yeah well 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Antibiotics are soldiers. Your body is a war zone. Germs and infections are the terrorists. So you send more and more soldiers into the warzone to make sure that the terrorists are completely taken care of. You cant fight half a war, cos then the enemy will strike back. Antibiotics need to reinforce the body to make sure that the infection is gone. If you dont finnish the course. The infection may start again. It could also leave scars. Take a look at an old battlefield!
Creative, huh??? C'mon!!!! 10 points!!!!
2006-09-11 21:40:26 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Because if you don't, the bacteria or virus, etc., won't completely go away, and possibly come back even worse. This is what has been told to me. I had Cellulitis this year twice. I had just gotten it cleared up, when I fell and it flared up again, and back on the 10 day antibiotic. It went up my leg the last time due to the fall. Some germs just are very hard to treat. Many germs just stay there and wait to come back.
2006-09-12 09:28:28 · answer #4 · answered by shardf 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
From what I understand, the antibiotics are working to kill the bad guys (bacteria) in you. Bacteria are smart and can fiigure out how to become immune to whatever is trying to kill them. If you stop taking your antibiotics before they are all dead, the ones that remain will be resistant to it and the drug will no longer be useful to you. You might feel better, but there may still some bacteria in there.
I have dramatized what's going on a little bit, but essentially that is how I understand it. There is more info at WebMD.
2006-09-11 21:41:42 · answer #5 · answered by MaoMao 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
YES!!! Take them all according to the directions and make sure you finish the whole thing and while your at it find out if four times a day means the 24 hour day or the waking period day.
So many times people don't know how to properly take antibiotics and this doesn't help them as well as it should.
2006-09-11 21:37:25 · answer #6 · answered by ? 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
You need to finish all antibiotics, because over time whatever virus is in the body will adapt to the medication thereby making it worthless, and your body will not be able to fight off the virus because it will have been made stronger because the virus has grown adapted to the medicine. I'm sure you don't want to have to take another antibiotic again would you?
2006-09-11 21:45:18 · answer #7 · answered by zekemilli4 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Because although you may FEEL better, the infection is not all the way gone. AND if you stop, chances are that the bacteria that comes back, is resistant to whatever antibiotic you were taking.
2006-09-11 21:38:57 · answer #8 · answered by bgii_2000 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
To be certain that the germs are all dead. Antibiotics kill some right away, but others can persist a while, and you must take the abx til they are all dead, or they will return and reinfect you.
2006-09-11 21:47:07 · answer #9 · answered by Mad Roy 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
because if you dont the virus will build up it mechanism to resist
the antibiotic and the antibiotic wont work in future for the same
sickness
2006-09-11 21:40:20 · answer #10 · answered by cnaw 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
so all the bacteria is killed. if not, you will grow super bacteria that will be resistant to the antibiotic that you were using. always always finish you dose of antibiotics even if you start feeling better.
2006-09-11 21:36:39 · answer #11 · answered by kpinette 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋