Antibiotics are one of t e greatest discoveries of the 20th Century. Suddenly diseases that were killing the masses had a cure. a miracle drug that cured everything had been discovered! but is this really true?
The once revered drugs have lost their edge. They are being used with reckless abandon.
We are popping them into our bodies like multivitamin tablets. due to this misuse, antibiotics are slowly becoming ineffective in treating even simple infections.
How bad is the problem in Kenya?unlike in the past where visits to the doctor were few and far apart, Kenyans nowadays are going to hospital for every small ailment – including minor things like the common cold.
They also demand to be given antibiotics for every ailment. Not only that, they want the most powerful drugs in the market – simply because they require fewer doses and they can afford it. the situation is so bad that we are now having children with sore throats being injected with drugs usually reserved for life-threatening conditions such as meningitis.
Medical personnel have also contributed to this problem. We sometimes give in to patient drug demands or on other occassions we give antibiotics to patients ‘just in case the infection is bacterial’.
Since most urban Kenyans are internet savvy, there is now a culture of looking for medical information online and self-medicating.
What are the dangers of antibiotic misuse?
Unwanted side-effects: Most common are skin rashes, mouth sores, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, vaginal thrush, difficulty breathing, body swelling and, in some cases, kidney or even liver failure.
Weakened body defences: Once ingested, antibiotics are non-selective.
They will try to kill all the bacteria they come into contact with. Therefore, they will not only kill the ‘bad bacteria’ that are giving you the infection, they will also destroy your ‘good bacteria’ which are needed for normal body function. these good bacteria are found in your mouth, intestines, skin and reproductive system.
Unnecessary hospitalisation: If an antibiotic is taken inappropriately, your infection may appear to clear only for it to come back in a much stronger form a few days later.
In most cases, the infection is usually so severe that you end up being admitted to hospital.
Antibiotic resistance: When bacteria are exposed to inappropriate antibiotics, they become resistant to the drugs.
This leads to a phenomena known as ‘superbugs’. these do not respond to conventional antibiotic therapy.
Community spread: We are now having highly resistant bacteria previously only seen among the very sick in hospital intensive care units (ICU) spreading to the community. these bacteria are very difficult to treat, and are often fatal.
What to do?
Avoid unecessary antibiotics. the human body is designed to fight most infections without the use of these drugs. We would not have survived for the past few centuries were it not so.
Discuss the justification for the antibiotics prescribed by your doctor. If the doctor explains that there is no need for the antibiotic, take his/her advice and find out what you can do to manage the infection.
Avoid the use of antibiotics for viral infections such as the common cold and flu. With or without the antibiotic, the duration of viral infections remains unchanged.
Use supportive management such as taking plenty of fluids, steaming and sufficient rest. this allows for the body to clear the infection by itself. School-going children sometimes come home with a runny nose – you do not want them taking antibiotics every time this happens.
Avoid buying antibiotics over the counter (OTC). If you are sick enough to require antibiotics, talk to your physician and get the appropriate prescription. due to individual differences, you may find a certain antibiotic may be much better for treating your infection than the one you are purchasing OTC.
Finish your prescribed dosage. Do not stop the antibiotic the moment you feel better as doing so leads to antibiotic resistance.Talk to your doctor about using probiotics to help re-build the good bacteria in your body during antibiotic use.
Probiotics usually help prevent side-effects such as diarrhoea, mouth sores and vaginal thrush.
They come in either powder or tablet form and can be bought either in the pharmacy or at a health shop. You could opt for natural probiotics such as yoghurt. a good plan is to take daily amounts of yoghurt during antibiotic treatment.
Use natural remedies. Lemon and honey mixed in hot water is good for colds, cranberry juice helps control urinary tract infections and garlic has natural healing properties.
Build your body’s defences with your diet. take plenty of foods rich in vitamins such as fresh fruits and vegetables.
Antibiotics are a double-edged sword. They are life savers if used properly but they can also considerably ruin the quality of your life if not used appropriately.





