Best practice then: You caught a bug, went to the doctor, and walked out with a prescription for an antibiotic.
Best practice now: You catch a bug, go to the doctor, and walk out with nothing except some common-sense advice on how to manage your symptoms.
That’s because today’s best-informed doctors recognize that the widespread use of antibiotics – especially broad-spectrum antibiotics which wipe out a wide range of micro-organisms – has been a horrible mistake that has led to two grave consequences:
· Development of antibiotic–resistant bacteria, which often cause lethal disease.
· Destruction of beneficial bacteria, particularly in the gut, which are essential for overall health.
Despite growing awareness that antibiotics should be a treatment of last resort, old habits die hard.
“In hospitals and clinics, about 50 percent of all antibiotic use is either unnecessary or inappropriate,” says Lauri Hicks, medical epidemiologist and Director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) program Get Smart: Know When Antibiotics Work.
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria now account for more than 2 million illnesses each year and 23,000 American deaths.
“This is actually considered a conservative estimate,” Dr. Hicks tells Newsmax Health. “We think the numbers may be quite a bit higher than that.”
The most urgent threats come from C. diff, a serious diarrheal infection, drug-resistant gonorrhea, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, commonly called MRSA.
Many doctors needlessly prescribe antibiotics against colds, flu, and other viral infections. Other viral conditions that do not warrant antibiotic therapy include most cases of bronchitis, coughs, ear infections, sore throats, and stomach flu.
Bacterial conditions that often warrant antibiotic therapy include severe sinus infections, some ear infections, strep throat, bladder infections, and some wound and skin infections, especially staph infections.
Current research suggests that broad-spectrum antibiotics – the “big guns” such as azithromycin, amoxicillin plus clavulanate, and ciproflaxin – are most likely to contribute to antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the destruction of “friendly” bacteria in the gut.
Whenever possible, choose narrow-spectrum antibiotics such as amoxicillin, which is often prescribed for ear infections and bacterial sinusitis; cephalexin, which is often prescribed for skin infections, and penicillin, which is often prescribed for strep throat.
It’s best to treat the symptoms of common infections with remedies such as nasal saline sprays, warm compresses, over-the-counter pain relievers and – yes – Mom’s old stand-by: chicken soup, says Dr. Hicks.
By boosting the immune system, some supplements can be an alternative to antibiotics, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Zinc: Research shows zinc helps to reduce the length and severity of the common cold when taken within 24 hours after symptoms start.
Vitamin C: In five trials in people who were exposed to extreme physical stress (marathon runners, skiers, and soldiers training in subarctic conditions), taking vitamin C cut the number of colds in half.
Probiotics: A major review of clinical trials involving more than 3,000 people indicated that probiotics might help to prevent upper respiratory tract infections, such as the common cold. Most people can use probiotics without experiencing any side effects – or with only mild gastrointestinal side effects such as gas.
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