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Volume 1 Issue 3

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Danger of Antibiotics The introduction of penicillin in the 1940's heralded a new age in the treatment of infections and disease. Before the discovery of penicillin, infectious diseases were a huge public health problem that led to millions of deaths. In the years since the discovery of penicillin, scientists have developed over 150 different antibiotics to help stop the spread of infectious diseases with their ability to treat previously potentially fatal conditions. Many people consider antibiotics "miracle drugs". Although antibiotics have saved many, many lives, their very success has a high price. The problem is one of bacterial antibiotic resistance. Once they encounter an antibiotic, bacteria are able to change their structure remarkably quickly to become resistant to the antibiotic. The issue of resistance has grown to such an extent that experts are warning that we face a global public health problem of potentially catastrophic proportions. The problem is exacerbated not only by the speed at which resistance appears to develop, but also by jet travel enabling resistant strains to spread across the world at break-neck speeds. come complacency which has resulted in a tendency for misuse, abuse and overuse. For example, if we go to the doctor, some patients pretty much expect to get a prescription even if we could be better off looking for an alternative or only taking antibiotics as a last resort. Many people take antibiotics when they are not really necessary-perhaps for fairly minor illnesses from which they would recover just as easily without such medication. Doctors will often prescribe antibiotics for viral respiratory infections even though antibiotics are totally ineffective against viruses. Some people fail to complete their course of prescribed antibiotics, causing the more resistant bacteria to survive. It is clear that something has to be done otherwise we risk facing a situation where antibiotics simply no longer serve any purpose leaving resistant bacteria strains to run rampant. Alternative approaches work for many, keeping the immune system strong; taking probiotics on a daily basis and using natural antibiotic herbs and products have helped many avoid antibiotic abuse. What's more, resistant strains evolve and thrive in hospitals where patients are often in a weakened state of immunity or have open wounds leaving them more vulnerable to infection. Undoubtedly, the very success of antibiotics has played a large part in creating the problem of resistance. With success has Page 22 | Abby's Magazine - www.AbbysMag.com

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