Why do so many people abuse antibiotics?

Question

this leads to bacteria that become resistent to antibiotics. lots of antibiotics now are not effective because of other peoples abuse of the drug. soon antibiotics wont work on us and we will end up going back to the days when antibiotics were not discovered and people died over the simplest diseases

Answer 1

We live in a fast paced world. People can't afford to have the stomach flu and be out sick for a week or two. They can't afford the time anymore. It used to be that folks understood if you were sick, they would ask you to stay home so you didn't infect anyone else, but now, people are being asked to come into work when they are still sick - the answer to get over something quickly is antibiotics - at least that's what we're told when we're kids. This is what leads to the abuse of antibiotics - the demand for people to come to work, healthy or sick, but of course no one likes being sick so we stuff ourselves with antibiotics to get well as fast as humanly possible. I think if we just took the time to get over being sick (I had the stomach flu not long ago, I used Emetrol to help keep food down so I wouldn't starve, but I didn't use any antibiotics, by the time I thought about going to the doctor - I was fine. My body had cured itself.

But in this fast paced world, many if not most people don't have the time do this, so we reach for over-the-counter quick fixes and prescription anti-biotics for quick fixes. Until people slow down a little more, the abuse of anti-biotics will continue, and more people will get sick as people go to work sneezing, coughing and sick - letting the cycle continue.

Answer 2

People don't abuse the drugs....the doctors overprescribe them. I went to the doctor last week for a thyroid check. My doctor listened to my chest and told me I had bronchitis, even though I told her I felt fine and wasn't coughing or anything. She insisted I had it prescribed Zithromax and told me to get a chest x-ray. Luckily...I waited until my x-ray results came back to fill the prescription (without telling my doctor) because the xray was negative. Had I not waited, I would have been taking antibiotics that I didn't need. The doctor's office called yesterday and told me to "stop taking the antibiotics" because I didn't have bronchitis, not knowing that I never even filled the prescription. Needless to say...I'm currently looking for a new doctor.

Answer 3

In earlier years people seemed to be more hardier to simple deceases. People now live longer and are more prone to complications of health. Therefor our medical professionals tend to take caution on there side and will quickly prescribe antibiotics. Not always the best choice but then I am not a Doctor.

Answer 4

Doctors throw you a pill because they are so busy Simply refuse it or don't mention that problem again so they don't give you more