People are often given antibiotics for their colds and flu but colds, flu, cough and sinus congestion are symptoms of upper respiratory infections that are typically caused by viruses.
However, antibiotics act only against bacteria and are ineffective against viral infections. Taking an antibiotic when you don’t need it is not without risk.
Antibiotics can drastically decrease the numbers of normal, protective intestinal flora normally present in the intestines, which can leave you too deficient, and cause an increased risk of getting even more infections.
A well-known research study on antibiotics showed that taking even a single regimen of antibiotics (that is about 10 days) makes a person three to four times more likely to get another infection.
This is because antibiotics often kill off too much of the host’s inherent beneficial flora (which may have already been deficient in the first place), leaving the host even more unprotected in the fight against new infectious agents.
Generally speaking, infections are typically caused by three different agents, being viruses, bacteria and fungi:
• Virus – Examples of viral infections include the flu (influenza), the common cold (adena viruses) and Aids.
• Bacteria – Bacterial infections include strep throat, most bladder infections and ear infections in children.
Although bacteria can be killed by antibiotics like penicillin and sulpha, antibiotics create abnormal, cell-wall deficient bacterial forms which can embed deeper into your intestinal mucosa.
That is why taking antibiotics increase your susceptibility to future infections.
With every dose of an antibiotic, you also increase the potential incidences of resistant, “super forms” of bacteria.
• Fungus – Fungal infections include skin rashes like athlete’s foot and a type of meningitis called cryptococcal meningitis. Antifungal drugs often have many negative side effects and are ineffective in those who already have a weakened immune system.
According to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, taking properly prescribed medical drugs was listed as the third leading cause of death, presumably due to the extensive side effects of many drugs.
Antibiotics were specifically listed as one of the drugs in this category.
At times, antibiotics can be highly toxic and even deadly.
More next week about the potential adverse effects of taking antibiotics.
Lizel Britz 072 243 7707.
