Antibiotics should be consumed after the doctor’s advice.
Consuming antibiotics frequently can make bacteria resistant to them.
Antibiotics, crucial for combating bacterial infections, become a health hazard when misused. Reports reveal that individuals often self-prescribe antibiotics for common ailments, bypassing proper medical consultation. Dr. Vijay Gurjar, Head of the Department of Geriatric Medicine at Primus Super Specialty Hospital, highlights three common mistakes people make with antibiotic consumption, emphasizing the importance of caution.
Firstly, individuals neglect to seek a doctor’s advice before taking antibiotics, a practice that poses potential risks. Dr. Gurjar urges people to consult healthcare professionals before initiating antibiotic treatment.
The second common error involves prematurely discontinuing prescribed antibiotic courses. Dr. Gurjar emphasises the necessity of completing the full course to prevent bacterial resistance. Abruptly stopping medication may render bacteria resistant to the medicine, creating complications.
Furthermore, he also underscores the significance of conducting culture tests before antibiotic prescription. Taking antibiotics before testing can interfere with accurate results, constituting a frequently observed mistake among the public.
Dr. Kamran Farooqui, Chairman of AIIMS Trauma Centre, says that a large number of people worldwide die due to bacterial infections. These infections result from antibiotic-resistant bacteria mutating into superbugs. Farooqui emphasises that these superbugs alter their form, rendering conventional medicines ineffective against them.