One way for a person to get sick is to contract a bacterial infection. Bacterial infections are caused by tiny single celled bacteria that infect and attack the body. However, not all sicknesses are caused by bacteria, viruses can also cause infections in the body. Viral infections and bacterial infections have many similar symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, runny nose, and sore throat, though symptoms can vary among microbes. Below, is a picture of a virus (left) and a picture of bacteria (right). Despite the fact that their symptoms are similar, the treatments for the two types of infections are very different. Bacterial infections are treated with antibiotics, which prevent the bacteria from completing processes necessary to reproduce and survive (e.g. transcription or translation). Viruses on the other hand, use different processes in order to replicate. Viruses hijack the body's own cells to replicate and cannot be treated by antibiotics, because the antibiotics lack a 'target'. Most viruses do not require special medication to treat because your body can fight them off within a week or two. In extreme cases, antiviral drugs can be given to help fight off the infection, but these drugs must be given within the first two days of infection to really be effective. So what happens if you give someone with a viral infection antibiotics anyways? In the short term, nothing happens. The antibiotics don't kill the virus you are infected with and you don't get better until your immune system is able to defeat the virus on its own. In the long term, you have just helped to proliferate antibiotic resistant bacteria. Even though you didn't have a bacterial infection when you took the antibiotics. There are always bacteria present in your body. By needlessly taking antibiotics you expose the present bacteria to selection favoring antibiotic resistance. Some bacteria naturally possess resistance to antibiotics, or resistance can develop through mutations. When a person takes antibiotics, the antibiotics kill the bacteria that are not resistant, while allowing the bacteria that are resistant to proliferate and reproduce. But wouldn't resistance to antibiotics increase in bacteria even when antibiotics are taken to treat an actual bacterial infection? Yes, which means it is essential that we are smart about the use of antibiotics and only use them when necessary. Widespread overuse of antibiotics promotes the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria creating 'superbugs'. A superbug is just a nickname for a particular bacterial infection that is difficult to treat. When a bacteria has developed resistance to antibiotics, doctors suddenly have much more limited treatment options. Before antibiotics were developed, bacterial infections could be fatal, something that is uncommon today in otherwise healthy people. If antibiotic resistance becomes widespread, bacterial infections will once again become more than just a nuisance that your doctor hands you a prescription for. How do we go about preventing the spread of antibiotic resistance? Determining whether you need an antibiotic is difficult, because a gray area exists where symptoms of viruses and bacteria overlap. However, there are a few things that you can do and be aware of to stop the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria. First of all, it is important to know the symptoms that are generally more associated with bacterial infections. 1. Fever: Is typically associated with a bacterial infection (although it can be caused by the flu) 2. Mucous color: Although it may be gross to think about, checking the color of your mucus can actually help determine if you have a bacterial infection. Yellow mucus is within the acceptable range, although if your mucus turns a greenish color it may indicate that you have a bacterial infection. 3. Length of time you've been sick: Since your body can generally fight off viruses within about two weeks, if your sickness seems to hang on and not get better, it might be time for a trip to the doctor. 4. White spots on your throat: Most sore throats are caused by viruses, although white spots on your tonsils may indicate that you have strep throat (a bacterial infection). Overall, the only way to determine for sure that you have a bacterial infection is to get tested by your doctor, but keeping the information above in mind, may give you a better idea when it's worth your time to make a trip to see your doctor. Say you do have a bacterial infection, now what? TAKE YOUR ANTIBIOTICS AS PRESCRIBED It is important to take your whole dose of antibiotics even if you start to feel better midway through the treatment. If you haven't finished the full course of antibiotics, there are likely still some bacteria present. Not all bacteria have the same level of resistance to antibiotics naturally. Some may die with the first dose of antibiotics while others others may be able to survive the antibiotic treatment longer. By stopping your antibiotics early you increase the likelihood of creating antibiotic resistant bacteria.
So what I ask of you, is that you use antibiotics responsibly. Don't ask your doctor for antibiotics as a 'quick fix', there are not a placebo to be played with. Only consume antibiotics if you actually need them, and if you do actually need them, please, take the full course. ~Alexa References https://theweeklypaperblog.com/2013/03/27/how-bacteria-and-viruses-make-us-sick-an-introduction-to-pathogenesis/ https://www.thevaccinereaction.org/2016/02/viruses-always-the-easy-scapegoat/ https://www.novartis.com/files/cartoon-superbug-bigjpg https://www.pinterest.com/pin/187673509448755161/
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