Antibiotics
Now, let me warn you right off the bat: I get a little hostile when it comes to antibiotics and many people’s ignorance related to them. If things get a little tense toward the end of this, don’t worry. I still love you.
Antibiotics were discovered accidentally when a fungus landed on a petri dish and inhibited the growth of the cultured bacteria. The chemical causing this inhibition lead to the first mass-produced antibiotic. Good, great, fabulous. Lives were saved; people paraded down the streets in joy, adopting kittens, and kissing babies. But then something terrible happened: people took this “miracle drug” for granted, thinking they could pop one and be done with it.
Now, for this common misunderstanding regarding how exactly antibiotics work, I blame doctors. These days, many doctors throw prescriptions around to get needy patients out of their faces without explaining the drug and how it works. Here is what happens:
Oh, I feel so sick. I’m so glad my doctor gave me this orange bottle full of huge pills. Augmentin? What’s that? I don’t care as long as it makes me feel better.
I started taking these an-ti-bi-o-tics yesterday, and wow, do I feel better! These things are great. I’ll take this one with my breakfast.
Oh, man. My stomach isn’t feeling so well. I think these pills are upsetting my digestive system. I feel like my sinus infection is gone now, though, so I guess I’ll just stop taking them.
This is the usual progression when someone takes antibiotics. This is the worst thing you can do, though, and almost no one understands it. Let me explain what antibiotics do and what happens if you stop taking them.
When you take antibiotics, you usually start by taking 2 pills with a meal, and then take them twice a day from then on (breakfast and dinner). The first wave of antibiotics kills the majority (let’s say 75%) of the bacteria causing the infection you have. So people tend to feel better within 24 hours of starting their course, which is great.
The downside of antibiotics is that they are very effective at killing the helpful bacteria inside your body, along with the ones causing problems. The bacteria that live in your gut help your digestive system function, so yes, when you wipe them all out, you’ll have an upset stomach. The best way to avoid this side effect is to eat yogurt every day you are taking antibiotics to attempt to replenish the colonies in your digestive tract.
Now, the fact that the infection subsides after a day coupled with the upset stomach side effect dissuades many from continuing their 14-day course of antibiotics. The problem with this is serious–after you’ve taken antibiotics for a couple days, you’ve killed the majority of the bacteria, but you still have a few–the strongest few–left. If you abruptly discontinue the antibiotics, you allow these survivors to re-colonize your body, forming a stronger version of the bug you had before. Fabulous.
And the terrible, terrible cycle continues–producing stronger and stronger strains of bacteria. We now have to deal with certain strains of bacteria that are entirely resistant to all known antibiotics. And it is mostly attributed to the misuse and misunderstanding of antibiotics and how they actually work.
These days, people have an obligation to seek to understand their bodies, their health, and technology. And scientists and doctors have to take the time to make it understandable to the rest. This terrible cycle of ignorance and complacency simply won’t do.
Your body is a complex machine with billions of interacting cells–some your own, some foreign citizens in your body. Do not take it for granted. This is your body, your health; and the way you use it or abuse it can affect those around you more than you know.
Take those antibiotics until the bottle is empty! No excuses!
