There is a saying in pharmaceutical circles:
"If you treat the common cold, it will be gone for seven days, and if you don't treat it, it will be gone in a week."
This saying, although ill-founded in many cases, was the result of taking antibiotics on your own.
I didn't realize how much this phenomenon was frequent until one friend told me that he had drunk the whole hemomycin pack. Why? "I caught a cold."
People are just getting into the role of doctors and they believe that with the help of the Internet they can cure every kind of illness on their own. So there are people, like this friend of mine, who pops antibiotics like candy.
The story ends with him ending up in an emergency room, receiving shots for 5 days (not an antibiotic) and afterward, he became better. Why did this happen? It turned out that he had the flu, which is a viral infection, not a bacterial one. Virus overpowered him and he had to go to the hospital so he could receive, get this, shots of diclofenac to alleviate the pain.
The first thing you need to know is that antibiotics are INCAPABLE TO FIGHT AGAINST VIRUSES.
So, let's start.
WHAT ARE ANTIBIOTICS?
Like other drugs, antibiotics are chemical compounds. Initially, they were produced from microorganisms, and today there are synthetic versions.
Why microorganisms?
Let's mention Alexander Fleming, the inventor of penicillin and one of the most important personalities of modern medicine. With his work he saved millions of lives. And with his sloppiness.
Yeah, sloppiness.|
Fleming worked with Petri's dishes on which bacterial cultures were planted. In my head, this guy probably ate some old moldy bagel over those Petri's dishes. Some crums must have fallen into those dishes. After incubation, Fleming saw no bacteria around the crumb of that pastry.
Why? The cells of the mold have secreted certain substances (antibiotics) to protect themselves from the surrounding bacteria in the Petri dish.
It was subsequently determined that these substances ACT SELECTIVELY ON THE BACTERIA CELLS BUT DON'T ATTACK THE CELLS OF THE HOST (HUMAN CELLS).
SO WHY WE SHOULDN'T USE ANTIBIOTICS AT ALL TIMES?
Bacterias are nasty little pests. Because they are simple organisms, they can easily change and become resistant to danger (antibiotics).
Due to incompetent use of antibiotics, they have changed their structure and became antibiotic-resistant.
People were not lazy, so they modified the existing antibiotics a little and made synthetic ones, which still have their function and which can neutralize the bacteria.
However, the same thing happened again. Everyone takes antibiotics on their own without going to the doctor and guess what? Here comes the antibiotic resistance.
This race lasts for a long time. That's why there is a lot of antibiotics. You need to know that we are losing this race.
There are already bacteria that are resistant to almost all known antibiotics (VRSA-Vancomycin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus).
If the situation does not change, in the next 100 years, we will return to treatments with highly toxic arsenic salts. Treatment of bacterial infections will be almost as difficult as treating cancer.
Some "apocalypse theorists" claim that the bacteria may be the end of the human species.
Frankly, there is a good chance that they are right.
WHAT CAN WE DO?
Do not get educated on the Internet. The world is full of thieves and morons who are treating all sorts of illnesses for just 100 euros via magic and witchcraft. Likewise, there are neighbors whose aunt has a neighbor to whom this same thing happened and then she drank 17 antibiotics and she got better.
Do not do this.
There is a reason that medicine is a difficult profession.
Go to your doctor.
Each antibiotic acts on a specific number of bacteria, not at all of them.
Antibiotics are powerless against viruses.
Antibiotics must be taken in a PRESCRIBED DOSE AND FOR A PRESCRIBED PERIOD OF TIME.
This last fact is of crucial importance. Although you will feel better, know that you still have the same bacteria in your body that got you sick. Kill them all. Don't let them mutate, gain resistance, and bring you back to a state where you can not get out of bed.
Antibiotics are very powerful drugs. In order for your grandchildren to be able to rely on these powerful drugs, don't be a smartass.
VISIT YOUR DOCTOR.
DON'T TAKE ANTIBIOTICS ON YOUR OWN.
Do not harm yourself and your family from laziness.
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