Antibiotics help fight rash or infection. They provide strength to the immune system by fighting bacterial infection and prohibiting them from hitting you back again. Quite like other things, there are misconceptions regarding how they function, what purpose do they serve. If they are not used appropriately, they can be deadly. Before you do something that makes you pay a huge price for your health, we tell you about some myths and rules regarding antibiotic medicines.
You Can Share Antibiotics
There is no one size that fits all which means that a lot of people may think that a prescription given to one person may suit another and this is something that we all have been through. Medicine prescribed to one person helps fight against a specific disease and it cannot be used for just about any type of illness. What works for one may not work for another and this could even worsen the situation.
Antibacterials and Antibiotics Are the Same
There are so many ads featuring antibacterial sprays and soaps which may seem to work similar to antibiotic pills. But this is not true. Antibacterial can help kill bacteria but they can’t promise that the infection won’t come back, and they can’t help boosting your immunity. This can be achieved with antibiotics. So, antibacterial cannot replace antibiotics [1].
They Are Good for Flu and Cold
This happens to be the biggest myths of all times. Antibacterials fight fungi and bacteria but fever, cold and flu are basically viral infections which call for other interventions and just popping a pill may not work!
You Are Not Required to Complete the Dosage
Again, when we start feeling better, we feel that there is no need to continue the treatment and we stop taking medicines in between. Antibiotics are prescribed in set dosage which must be adhered to even when you feel there is no need. If you stop before, infection can make you all the sicker, since it has not completely resolved. [2]
You Can Preserve Them for Later Use
Don’t we all keep storing the antibiotic pills and when we fall sick, we resort to them instead of going to the doctor. This may be harmful as there is risk that you may use medicines which have expired. Also, medicines lose their effectiveness over time, rendering them of no use.
They Can Help Prevent Diseases
Medicines help fight off the infection but sometimes people start using the medicines even before the disease has hit them as a precautionary measure to prevent falling sick. This is not recommended as it increases the chances of developing infections.
Using Them All the Time Thinking They Are Effective
At times we try to be our own doctors. Sometimes we feel we are down with infection or see something coming so we take a medicine ‘just in case’ so that we can beat the illness and stay ahead of it. It is not recommended. If you take antibiotics more than what is required the bacteria strain will become all the more resistant and you may develop rashes, experience vomiting, and other allergic reactions may develop.
