If there is a little pain, cough-cold, fever, or allergy, we immediately take antibiotics. Many people rely on antibiotics for several days. However, excessive use of antibiotics is putting your body at risk, according to the latest research from WHO. Antibiotic resistance is increasing due to excessive use, which is indeed a greater threat than any epidemic.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) leads to the death of 5 million people worldwide every year, and if this continues, the death toll is expected to exceed 100 million by 2050. If you are also taking antibiotics, this news is crucial for you. Before these medicines become a curse for you, understand the reality and be cautious.
We will inform you about the news of the increasing risk of ‘antimicrobial resistance’ from antibiotics, what harm it causes to the body.
Expert opinions:
Dr. Jitendra Jain, Professor and Head of the Department, General Medicine, RKDF Medical College, Bhopal Dr. Ritesh Yadav, Consultant, Internal Medicine, Paras Hospital, Gurugram
Question: What is an antibiotic? Answer: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, antibiotics are medications that either inhibit the development of bacteria or completely destroy them. Antibiotics are a type of antimicrobial agent used to treat bacterial infections.
Antibiotics target the structure and function of bacteria, inhibiting their growth.
It is important to note that antibiotics are not effective against viral infections.
Question: Some people take antibiotics frequently; what impact does it have on the body? Answer: Those who, at the slightest discomfort or pain, buy antibiotics from medical stores and take them as per their preference, experience a diminishing effect of antibiotics on their bodies. Even after taking the medicine for a week, symptoms like fever, viral infections, cough, cold, and diarrhea do not completely subside. Instead, the patient feels weaker than before, and the reason behind it is the harm caused to the body by antibiotics.
Question: Why is the effect of antibiotics decreasing on the body? Answer: According to Dr. Alankar Gupta, Chief Medical Health Officer, the effect of antibiotics is not equivalent to nothing in patients. Due to the ineffectiveness, patients have to repeatedly change their medications. In reality, antibiotics eliminate bacterial infections, but with excessive use, good bacteria in the body start depleting. The body’s immunity weakens, reducing the ability to fight diseases, and the effectiveness of drugs on illnesses diminishes.
Question: In WHO’s research, antimicrobial resistance is mentioned; what does this mean? Answer: Antibiotics are used to kill bacteria. However, if a person is repeatedly using antibiotics, bacteria develop immunity against that medicine. Subsequently, treating it becomes quite challenging. This situation is referred to as antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In such a scenario, treatment is not effective, toxins accumulate in the liver, and the risk of liver damage increases. It starts with fatty liver and gradually progresses to cirrhosis-fibrosis.
If you take antibiotics, change this habit from today. Boost your immunity in case of viral fever instead of taking antibiotics to alleviate pain. A robust immune system will help recover from viral fever within 2-3 days. If not, contact a doctor instead of going to a medical store.
