What You Should Know About Antibiotics?

Antibiotics are medications which help in fighting bacterial infections by killing or halting the bacterial growth and for this reason these medicines are also referred to as anti-bacterials.^{(1, 2)} Antibiotics consist of variety of strong drugs for treatment of diseases or illnesses caused by bacteria. The important thing to know is that antibiotics cannot be used for treating viral infections, such as flu, cold and majority of coughs.

In this article, we will discuss what exactly are antibiotics; who discovered the first antibiotic; the mechanism of antibiotics; their side effects; and all about antibiotic resistance.

• Antibiotics help in treating diseases by either decreasing or destroying the growth of bacteria.
• Antibiotics cannot fight viral infections.
• The first natural antibiotic was penicillin discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928.⁽³⁾
• Alexander Fleming also forecasted the increase in antibiotic resistance.
• Side effects of antibiotics consist of nausea, upset stomach and diarrhea.

Antibiotics are one of the commonest medications prescribed by the doctors for treatment of diseases caused by bacteria. Antibiotics are one of the powerful drugs that can fight bacterial infections and save many lives when used at the right time and in the proper manner. Antibiotics work by killing the bacteria or preventing their multiplication.

The body’s immune system tries to kill the bacteria before it increases in growth and produces symptoms. The white blood cells are responsible for attacking the disease causing bacteria in case of symptoms and the immune system often can ward off the infection. In cases where there is presence of excess of the disease causing bacteria and when immune system cannot fight the infection or destroy the bacteria, this is where antibiotics enter to fight the infection.

Penicillin was the first ever antibiotic discovered. Antibiotics that are based on penicillin, such as amoxicillin, ampicillin and penicillin G are also prescribed for treating different bacterial infections.

There are different types of modern antibiotics available too and can be usually bought with prescription in many countries. Another variation of antibiotics is topical antibiotics, which are available as over-the-counter (OTC) ointments and creams.

There are lots of concerns about the overuse of antibiotics which is also thought to contribute in the increasing bacterial infections, which are developing a resistance to antibiotics.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) also says that there has been an increase in the antibiotic overuse. The use of antibiotic seems to be more in certain areas, such as the Southeast region.⁽⁵⁾

The use of a major class of last-line antibiotics, which is carbapenems, has significantly increased from 2007 to 2010. Alexander Fleming who found the first antibiotic about 70 years ago also had predicted the overuse of antibiotics and its resulting resistance increasing over a period of time.

Antibiotics work in one of the two manners. Penicillin is a type of bactericidal antibiotic which kills the bacteria. These types of antibiotics will disrupt either the formation of the bacterial cell wall or the contents of the cell.

A bacteriostatic type of antibiotics will prevent the bacteria from multiplying or increasing.

Antibiotics are prescribed by the doctors for treating bacterial infection. The knowledge of whether the infection is bacterial or viral helps in effective treatment. Antibiotics are completely and absolutely ineffective against viruses or viral infection.⁽¹⁾ Most of the upper respiratory tract infections are caused by viruses, such as the flu and common cold. Antibiotics are helpless when it comes to fighting these viral infections.⁽¹⁾

If the antibiotics are used incorrectly or are overused then the causative bacteria can become resistant to an antibiotic, meaning that the antibiotic loses its effectiveness against that particular form of bacterium, because the bacterium has become used to the antibiotic and has been able to improve its defenses.

A broad-spectrum antibiotic can be used to treat wide range of infections; whereas a narrow-spectrum antibiotic is used for treating only certain infections as it is only effective against some forms of bacteria.

There are some antibiotics which fight aerobic bacteria and some which fight anaerobic bacteria. Aerobic bacteria require oxygen; whereas anaerobic bacteria do not have such requirement.

In certain cases, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics to prevent instead of treating bacterial infection, such as is the case before performing any surgery. This is referred to as prophylactic use of antibiotics.

Some of the common side effects of antibiotics are: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach upset and rash.

Some of the side effects, such as fungal infections of the digestive tract, mouth and vagina can occur with prolonged use of antibiotics or with the use of certain antibiotics. Some of the less common side effects of antibiotics are:

• Abnormal blood clotting can develop when taking cephalosporins.
• Kidney stone formation is the risk when taking sulphonamides.
• The risk of blood disorders with trimethoprim use.
• Sensitivity to sunlight can occur with tetracyclines.
• There can be a risk of deafness, with the use of aminoglycosides and erythromycin.

Some patients, particularly older adults, can suffer from inflammation of the bowel resulting in acute bloody diarrhea.

Some patients can have an allergic reaction to antibiotics, more so penicillins with side effects, such as difficulty breathing, rash and swelling of the face and tongue.

A person can have delayed or immediate allergic reaction to antibiotics. When suffering from allergic reaction to a particular antibiotic, it is imperative to inform your medical provider immediately, as allergic reactions to antibiotics can not only be serious, but can also be life threatening (anaphylactic reaction).

Pregnant or breast-feeding women should also inform their doctor about their condition before taking any antibiotic. Patients having decreased kidney or liver function should exercise caution when taking antibiotics, as it can affect the antibiotic dose or the type of antibiotics used.

Patients taking any type of antibiotic should always consult their doctor before taking other medicines or herbal treatment. There are some OTC medications which can also interact with the antibiotics that the patient is taking.

According to some experts, antibiotics can also interfere with the effectiveness of oral contraceptives, but as of now there are no studies to support this.

Nevertheless patients having vomiting or diarrhea; or if they are not able to take their oral contraceptive due to an upset stomach can find it to be of decreased effectiveness. In such cases, one can consult their doctor for taking extra contraceptive precautions.

Patients should never stop their antibiotics in the middle of their course even if they are feeling better. If any questions regarding their use or duration of the antibiotics then ask your doctor.

Antibiotics are often taken orally. However, depending on the disease and other conditions, doctors can administer antibiotics via injection or direct application to the area of the body having infection.

Majority of the antibiotics start fighting the bacterial infection in a matter of few hours of taking it. It is important to complete the entire course of antibiotics as recommended by the doctors for complete resolution of infection and to prevent re-infection.

Stopping the use of antibiotics midway or before the course is completed increases the risk of antibiotic resistance to that bacteria. The surviving bacteria with the antibiotic exposure will develop resistance to the antibiotics used for fighting those bacteria.

Depending on the antibiotic, your doctor will advise you not to take it with certain drinks and foods. Antibiotic can be recommended to take after meals or on an empty stomach. Always follow your doctor’s instructions when following an antibiotic course for the medication to be completely effective and do its job properly. When taking tetracyclines, dairy products should be avoided as they can cause interference with the medication absorption. Alcohol consumption should be avoided when taking metronidazole.

There are many types of bacteria which are antibiotic resistant and include:

• Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) gut bacteria.
• Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA); multi-drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MDR-TB).
• Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus (VRE).

When someone suffers from infection caused by any of the above bacteria, then it becomes very difficult to cure it.

References:

Also Read:

• Why Should Antibiotics Be Avoided When Breastfeeding?
• Pros and Cons of Antibiotics
• Do Antibiotics Help Acne?
• Treating Acne with Antibiotics
• What Antibiotics Are Used To Treat Endocarditis?
• Antibiotics: Groups or Classes, Side Effects, Do Antibiotics Treat Viral Infections & Fungal Infections Also?
• What Antibiotics Can Be Used to Treat Trichomoniasis?
• How Safe is it to Take Antibiotics During Pregnancy?