antibiotics
2007-03-20 04:14:53 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Infectious Diseases
antibiotics work by killing off (or sometimes preventing reproduction of more) a specific strain of bacteria. They also evolve fairly quickly.
The dose and amount/ amount of time a patient is given an antibiotic is done to ensure that almost if not ALL of the targeted bacteria is killed. If a person stops taking their antibiotic before they are supposed to, they run the very real risk of having a small surviving population of bacteria still in them that might re-populate the infected area... but this time, the survivors might be resistant to the anti-biotic ... then you have a bigger, badder germ that needs an even stronger anti-biotic to kill off.
Anti-biotics do not work on viruses and people should not receive antibiotics for anything except bacterial infections. Overuse of antibiotics was/is a problem in some physician practices, but the AMA has really worked on this issue in the last several years, educating both the physician and the patient.
2007-03-20 04:29:45 · answer #1 · answered by dedum 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When given an antibiotic, you should take the dose prescribed, until complete. If you do not you can not only not cure the infection, but damage these cells, and make them immune to the antibiotic. Kind of like when you get a shot to make you immune against something, these strains can become resistant to the medications used. This will make harder and harder bugs to treat, not only in your body, but when / if you pass this on to some one else, the same thing happens. Go to a local search engine and look up Antibiotic use, super bug.
2007-03-20 10:31:43 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The problem with antibiotics is not in taking them too often, but in not finishing your prescription. If you stop taking them after a couple days because you feel better the infection will come back with avengence. This is because the weaker bacteria are killed off first leaving the stronger bacteria behind, it takes the whole 10 days or so to ensure that all of the bacteria are killed off. In the bacteria kingdom as well as the animal kingdom, there is a competition for food and resources. So if you kill off the weak bacteria, there will be more food for the super bugs and they will grow and multiply. So when you are sick with your second infection because you didn't finish your prescription, if you infect someone else you will infect them with the super bug and not the relatively weak strain you were originally infected with. So I guess the take home message is take your meds right to the end!!
2007-03-20 04:33:05 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Antibiotics, when taken properly (as perscribed) attack naughty bugs in your body and kill them; when taken impropery, say, you take a few, stop, take a few, stop a day or so, take a few more.....this allows the naughty little bugs to gain resistance to the antibiotics; so, what your doing is growing a resistent strain of germ in your body that is Now Resistent to Antibiotics; basically, it's irresponsible to yourself and the community; when you sneeze, you sneeze out an antibiotic resistent germ that can run it's course without worry as anibiotics will not stop it.
2007-03-20 04:22:10 · answer #4 · answered by Adonai 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
plus u should take all of them for the prescribed number of days cuz it takes time to kill it off so it will not come back
2007-03-20 04:23:21 · answer #5 · answered by Jim G 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It could affect your kidney.
2015-03-29 22:27:04 · answer #6 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋