Irrational Use Of Antibiotics Can Be Hazardous: Expert Advice

Antibiotics are also referred as miracle drugs as they provide instant relief but these miracle drugs are also a potential threat to a person's life due to its overuse and if used irrationally. On this Antibiotic Awareness Month, doctors lay stress on the importance of educating people about the correct use of different types of antibiotics available. But in our pharmacies, a person does not require a valid prescription for buying these antibiotics. This can be poisonous and have counter-effects as overuse of the same makes the body resistant to the benefits of these drugs.

Doctors explain that the human body carries a hospital, a drug store and a doctor in itself known as the White Blood Corpuscles. They can potentially fight bacterial infections but when a person continuously pumps in antibiotics in his or her body, it ultimately results in weakening of the immune system.

Also read: Must Know: Important Medication Safety Tips

Experts also explain that regular usage of antibiotics can be fatal for brain-cell growth. Antibiotics disturb the balance of the bodily systems. This is because of the chemical reaction of the medicines on infection-causing microbes of the body. What people do usually is take the same prescription for the symptoms they have experienced before. The results of doing this can be quite dangerous.

Dr Gita Prakash says, "If an antibiotic is not meant for a particular disease, it will not have an effect on the patient. However, you may end up with an upset stomach or the bacteria against which you have taken the wrong medication can become resistant to the antibiotic. Antibiotics should be taken in the correct form and in the recommended dosage only."

Dr Prakash further explains that sometimes you may experience cough and cold and take medication for that accordingly. But the medication does not remain the same in most cases. The next time you experience it that might be due to some disturbance in the chest. Hence, the medication is ought to be different for both. There is always scope for change in medication. The same prescription is not valid for similar symptoms. 

P.N.N. Pisharody an expert committee member, district National Health Mission unit revealed that only 10% of the cases that reach the doctor are in need of antibiotics. However, results show that prescriptions for such medicines without the evidence of the presence of a disease have now become a trend. The fact that these antibiotics are easily available is why they are prescribed so often. Another reason is over-the-counter purchase of these medicines. In our country, these medicines are available easily without a proper prescription. However, in the western nations even paracetamol is not availed to patients without a prescription. Irrational use of these medicines can do more harm than they can do good.

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Antibiotics can be very useful when a person faces serious bacterial infections. The only problem here is the fact that this has resulted over prescription of antibiotics which can end in serious consequences. Over consumption of antibiotics may even lead to life-threatening consequences. This trend needs to be controlled.

Online medication can be fatal

Ever since medication has been availed on the internet, people buy antibiotics online without prescription. Drug regulation on the basis of its medical value and its potential for abuse is not practiced and it is not good for the people.

Controlled consumption of paracetamol

Any sort of discomfort or a feeling of being feverish is simply dealt with by popping a paracetamol. The most commonly consumed antibiotic is taken without much care and concern and people do not realize that over-consumption of this drug may even result in liver damage. 

Dr Prakash says, "Paracetamol is given more often because it hardly has any side effects. If you are experiencing fever or headache or even feel feverish, you can take paracetamol. You can also have it for cold, cough or body ache. However, if you are allergic to it, you must not take paracetamol."

(Dr Gita Prakash is a senior consultant at the Max Multi-Speciality Centre.)

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.