Antibiotics are widely used to treat infections caused by microorganisms called bacteria. They work by destroying or slowing down the growth of bacteria that may cause illness.
Usually as soon as the bacteria enter our body and begin to multiply, the body’s immune system gets into action. The army of white blood cells in the blood begins to destroy the harmful bacteria even before the symptoms surface. Although our immune system is capable of tackling mild infections, sometimes extra help is needed in the form of antibiotics.
An antibiotic like penicillin kills the bacterium by inhibiting its ability to either turn glucose into energy or to construct its cell wall.
Antibiotics are effective only against bacteria, fungi and parasites. They do not work against viruses. Therefore it is important to find out if the infection is bacterial or viral. For example, infections such as the common cold and sore throats are generally caused by viruses and taking antibiotics will not really help.
Antibiotics should be taken only when prescribed by the doctor. When antibiotics are overused the bacteria are likely to become resistant and the antibiotic becomes less effective against a particular type of bacterium.
It is also crucial to complete the entire course of medication even if the condition improves. Otherwise some bacteria may survive in the body causing the infection to recur. Worse still, any future antibiotic treatment many not be as effective as the bacteria that survived in the body when the antibiotic was stopped abruptly have has some exposure to antibiotics and have consequently built up a resistance to it.
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