Prescription Drugs | Non-Prescription Drugs |
Antibiotics are drugs or medicines that are used to treat infections caused by bacteria and other organisms like parasites, protozoa, and fungi. There are a large number of infections that cannot be cured by simple medicines. It is in such infections which can also be life-threatening ones, strong medicines like antibiotics are used. They are available in tablets, powder, and injected forms
Antiobiotics are of two types:
The work of antibiotics is rather simple: they kill bacteria or just prevent from its growing. The body's balance between health and illness is called homeostasis. Homeostasis basically depends on the relationship of the body to the bacteria with which it lives. When there are too many bacteria for the system to handle, illness occurs and antibiotics are needed to help restore homeostasis. It is believed that antibiotics interfere with the surface of bacteria cells, causing a change in their ability to reproduce. This prevents the growth of more bacteria. Different antibiotics kill bacteria in different ways. Some short-circuit the processes by which bacteria get energy, others disturb the structure of the bacterial cell wall, and still others interfere with the production of essential proteins.
Physicians and patients are using antibiotics to treat a large number of infections like as urinary tract infections, meningitis, tuberculosis, to prevent infections before, during, and after surgery etc.
It is to be noted that antibiotics are used in treating infections, caused by bacteria, fungus, and various parasites. But antibiotics don't cure diseases caused by viruses. In recent years, health experts have noticed that antibiotics are becoming less and less effective as people use them more and more. This happens because of antibiotic resistance, a problem that develops when antibiotics are over-used or mis-used. Infections or diseases in which antibiotics should not be used are as follows:
Everyone can help keep antibiotic resistance from becoming an even bigger problem than it already is. Here are some important guidelines:
Some 160 antibiotics are available. These include Tetracyclines, Aminoglycosides, Penicillins, Cephalosporins, Fluoroquinolones, Streptogramins, Sulfonamides, Macrolides, Erythromycins, Polypeptides etc.
Prescription Drugs | Non-Prescription Drugs |