Antibiotics are drugs used to treat bacterial infections. This drug should ideally only be used as prescribed and directed by a doctor. If antibiotics are consumed carelessly, their use will not only become ineffective, but can be harmful to health.
Antibiotic drugs are only effective for treating bacterial infections. This medicine cannot be used to treat viral, fungal, or worm infections.
When you get antibiotics from your doctor, you need to take them until they run out and according to the doctor's instructions. If you don't take antibiotics properly, the bacteria you want to kill can grow back or become resistant to them.
How to Take the Right Antibiotics
Antibiotics that are consumed correctly, in the right dose, and on time can treat diseases caused by bacterial infections. However, if consumed carelessly or not according to doctor's recommendations and prescriptions, antibiotics can actually be harmful to health.
Therefore, you need to take antibiotics properly. The following are things that need to be considered or done when using antibiotics:
- Tell your doctor about any supplements or medications you are currently taking or if you have a history of allergies to certain medications.
- Take antibiotics until they run out according to the dose and instructions for use prescribed by the doctor.
- Do not stop taking antibiotics prematurely without consulting your doctor, even if your symptoms have subsided or disappeared.
- Don't leave antibiotics and give them to someone else, even if that person is experiencing the same symptoms as you.
- Take antibiotics with water, not with milk, alcoholic beverages, or herbs.
Selection of Appropriate Antibiotics
The doctor will determine the type of antibiotic to be given based on the type of bacteria causing the infection. Therefore, before prescribing antibiotics, the doctor will perform a physical examination and possibly some additional tests, such as blood tests, urine tests, and blood cultures, if needed.
In addition, there are several things that the doctor considers in determining the type of antibiotic to be prescribed, namely:
- Severity of infection
- Conditions of body organs, such as kidney function and liver function
- Methods of giving antibiotics, such as oral medications, topical medications, or injection drugs
- Medications or other supplements that are being taken
- History of allergies to certain types of antibiotics
- Recent conditions, such as being pregnant or breastfeeding
If you get a prescription for an antibiotic, regardless of the type, remember to always take the medication for the amount or time your doctor prescribes. This is important so that the bacterial infection can be completely cured and there is no bacterial resistance that can be very dangerous.
The Risk of Germs Resistance to Antibiotics
Inappropriate use of antibiotics has the risk of causing antibiotic resistance or a condition when bacteria are already resistant to antibiotics.
This makes the germs more difficult to treat, so doctors need to use a stronger type of antibiotic or at a higher dose.
In some cases, bacteria that are already resistant can not even be treated at all with antibiotics. This of course can be very dangerous to health and has a high risk of causing dangerous complications, such as sepsis.
Therefore, in order to avoid antibiotic resistance, you are advised not to buy antibiotics over-the-counter without a doctor's prescription or use antibiotics indiscriminately.
To find out how to take antibiotics properly, you need to consult a doctor. This is important so that the doctor can determine the type and dose of antibiotics that suit your condition.
