What Are Antibiotics? How Does It Work?

Bacteria cause many infections. Some antibiotics help prevent these infections by killing these bacteria. The antibiotics kill bacteria and stop them from replicating and reproducing.

You may have consumed antibiotics at some point in your life. But it is crucial that you know about them. Everyone doesn’t know what antibiotics are– that is why I have listed a brief explanation of what they are in the content here.

You need these drugs when any viral disease attacks you. There are different types of antibiotics for different kinds of conditions. But what are these antibiotics, and how do they help you? If you are looking for answers to questions like that, you can follow this article.

In this article, I will talk about antibiotics, how they work, and the benefits and risks of using them.

What Are Antibiotics?

Antibiotics are drugs that kill the germs and the bacterias that live within your body and do severe damage to your health. The word antibiotic means “against life.”

These drugs are specifically for killing germs and bacteria; all the other medicines are not antibiotics. Antibiotics work both on humans and animals.

One can take antibiotics in different ways–

• You can take antibiotics orally
• There are many antibiotics that you can apply topically. It can be a spray, a cream, liquids, or capsules. 
• Antibiotics can also be given through injection. 

Many people mistake all medicines like antibiotics. The knowledge I am going to deliver here will help you clear the misconception about antibiotics and other medications that are not antibiotics.

How Do Antibiotics Help? 

Antibiotics treat bacterial infections. For instance, whooping cough, UTI, and other bacterial infections.

Several bacterial infections do not need antibiotics the cure. For example, if you have an ear infection, you don’t need antibiotics; if you take antibiotics when you don’t need them, they will not help you. You should take antibiotics only if the doctors advise it. 

What Can Antibiotics Do And What They Cannot Do?

Antibiotics are helpful when you need to recover from any bacterial infection. However, there are limits to what antibiotics can and cannot do. Many bacterias live within our body, and many of them are not harmful. However, the bacterias have the power to infect any part of your body. 

Here are some infections that the antibiotics can cure–

• Some ear and sinus infections
• Meningitis (swelling of your brain and spinal cord)
• Strep throat
• Dental infections
• Skin infections
• Bacterial pneumonia
• Bladder and kidney infections
• Clostridium difficile
• Whooping cough

What Are The Side Effects Of Antibiotics?

There are some common side effects of antibiotics. While there are some good bacteria, there are some bad ones. When you consume any antibacterial medicine, you may face some side effects. In most cases, consuming antibacterial drugs affect your digestive system. 

Here are some of the common side effects of antibiotics–

• Diarrhea
• Vomiting 
• Bloating or indigestion 
• Abdominal pain 
• Nausea 
• Loss of appetite

You may also face other minor symptoms like wheezing, coughing, and tight throat. However, you may and may not experience all of these problems simultaneously. 

Do Antibiotics Treat Viral Infection?

You should not take antibiotics if you have viral infections. Antibiotics cannot treat viral diseases. You can take the below instances, for example–

• You cannot take antibiotics when you have a cold or runny nose.
• Antibiotics cannot treat sore throats 
• You cannot take antibiotics also when you have a flu
• Antibiotics cannot treat bronchitis

Why Should You Take Antibiotics Only When It Is Needed?

Doctors don’t prescribe you any antibiotics unless you need them. You should avoid taking antibiotics when the doctors don’t prescribe them. There are two essential reasons for not taking antibiotics on will– 

1. There can be side effects 
2. For antibiotic resistance

You can already see the side effects of antibiotics from the previous section, but antibiotic resistance is another thing. 

When you take antibiotics when your body does not need them, you can contribute to antibiotic resistance. This type of resistance happens when the bacteria in your body change, and they can resist the effects of antibiotics on your body.

These are why you need to be cautious about using antibodies.

Facts You Need To Know About Antibiotics:-

Here are a few must-know facts about antibiotics–

• The first natural antibiotic was penicillin, discovered by Alexander Fleming.
• You cannot viral diseases using antibiotics
• Flemming also foreshadowed the rise of antibiotic resistance 
• Antibiotics work by slowing down the growth of the bacteria or by killing them.
• There are side effects of the unregulated use of antibiotics.

Frequently Asked Questions:-

There are many misconceptions about antibiotics. I have tried to clear a few of them through this article. However, if you have any other questions, you can follow the below-mentioned Q&A.

Bottom Line 

If you have a urinary tract infection or whooping cough, the doctor will probably prescribe you antibiotics. Unless any bacteria causes the diseases, the doctors will not prescribe you antibiotics. Antibiotics are very potent medicines, and you should avoid using them unless there is a need.

There are side effects of taking antibiotics when you don’t need them. In this article, I have talked about the most important facts about antibiotics. If you have any questions about antibiotics, you can leave a comment.

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