Antibiotics can be life-saving for people who have serious bacterial infections, but they have been irresponsibly and wrongly prescribed for many decades, which has had serious repercussions."super bugs" are harmfulpathogenicbacteria that are not killed by traditional antibiotics that were once effective.Reducing unnecessary antibiotic use requires the efforts of doctors and patients.
Step 1: Be patient with your illness.
As a patient, it can be hard to have an illness that's causing uncomfortable symptoms and lots of distress; however, many respiratory and intestinal infections clear up within a few weeks and are not life threatening.Before going to the doctor, take the time to assess your symptoms.It can help avoid unnecessary antibiotic use.The rule of thumb is to allow the symptoms to run their course for about seven to 10 days.These symptoms can be treated with rest, hydration, and bland diet.Look out for key symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, high fever, nausea/vomiting and/or diarrhea without being able to keep liquids down, which can lead to dehydration.You need to be seen by a health care professional if you have these symptoms.If you're able to see your doctor quickly if your symptoms suddenly get worse, then postponing a doctor's visit for a few weeks is a good idea.Most antibiotics are prescribed for the common cold, sore throats, bronchitis, and ear infections.The millions of excess prescriptions each year in the U.S. put patients at needless risk for allergic reactions, serious diarrhea and other intestinal problems, along with the most important risk of antibiotic resistance due to unnecessary exposure.
Step 2: Ask your doctor to tell you the difference between infections.
Ask your doctor to make a diagnosis before giving you antibiotics or other drugs.Doctors are experienced in dealing with infections, but the clinical presentations of non-bacterial infections are nearly identical in many instances.They need to give you a reason for their recommendations.It takes less time to determine the cause of an illness than it does to prescribe antibiotics.Their schedules are more important than your health.Ask your doctor when antibiotics are needed and when they aren't.Information on the risk for infections by antibiotic-resistantbacteria should be included in your conversation.
Step 3: Get a second opinion.
If you get the feeling that your doctor is pushing antibiotics on you, then you should get a second opinion from a doctor who is more knowledgeable in getting an accurate diagnosis.It is almost always better to have two professional opinions.Further testing may reveal a viral/fungal/parasitic infection and lead to the correct diagnosis and treatment, as well as reduced risks associated with antibiotic usage.Ask your doctor or family and friends if they're taking new patients.
Step 4: Natural antibiotics can be explored with the assistance of a licensed neuropath.
Natural alternatives can be considered if you're concerned about the risks and ineffectiveness of antibiotics.There are many plant-based compounds that are good alternatives to antibiotics.Coconut oil, olive leaf extract, andrographis, Pau D'Arco and garlic are healthy and affordable.Before taking any plant-based medicines, you should talk to a naturopath or a Chinese herbal medicine provider to make sure they don't interact with any medication you're taking.Lauric acid is found in coconut oil and can be used to kill Clostridium difficile.In Indian folk medicine, arrographis can be used to fight infections.Pau D'Arco is the bark of a South American tree.Allicin is found in garlic and can be used to kill "superbugs" such as MRSA.
Step 5: You should take a wait and see approach.
Most people who get antibiotics from a doctor have upper respiratory infections that cause symptoms such as coughing, sore throat, and mild fever.Most upper respiratory symptoms are caused by viruses which don't respond to antibiotics.Taking a wait and see approach is a good strategy for doctors because most upper respiratory infections run their course within a few weeks without serious symptoms.Sending patients home without medicine is not always popular with patients, but it is helpful for cutting down on unnecessary antibiotic use.If symptoms persist for more than two weeks and get worse, then taking blood/saliva samples is recommended.
Step 6: Correctly diagnose infections.
Infections caused by other "germs" such as viruses, fungi or parasites can cause symptoms similar tobacterial infections, which is why antibiotics are only effective against strains ofbacteria.Doctors need to determine the real cause of the infection and not just guess based on symptoms.Body fluids must be taken and examined by a medical lab to see what diseases are infecting the patient.The back of the patient's throat should be taken as a sample for upper respiratory infections.The mucus is cultured in a petri dish in order to confirm a diagnosis of a disease.
Step 7: Don't get influenced by patient demands.
Patients often go to their doctors with the expectation that their infections will be treated with medication that will make the symptoms less severe.With the advent of direct-to-consumer advertising, drug marketing increases patient demand, but patients don't know which drugs are most appropriate for which conditions/symptoms/infections, so doctors should not be influenced by patient demands of antibiotics.Explain what antibiotics are used for to patients.Antibiotics should not be given to a patient if they don't have abacterial infections.Anti-inflammatories and painkillers are often appropriate and effective for non-bacterial infections and should be used instead of antibiotics.Patients can control their symptoms while their body fights infections.Almost 50 million unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions are issued in the U.S. every year.
Step 8: Drug companies are put under a lot of pressure.
Drug companies, specifically the "drug reps" or pharmaceutical representatives who are the doctor's liaisons, are one of the sources of pressure that doctors must face.Drug reps monitor their doctor's prescription habits and often offer bonuses for certain levels that are met.In a responsible and ethical fashion, ignore the pressures and incentives of drug reps.Keeping it on a strictly professional level is the best way to reduce the temptation to become more social with your drug reps.Use a variety of medicines based on safety, availability and affordability when working with drugs reps from more than one pharmaceutical company.
Step 9: Posters commit to reducing unneeded antibiotic prescriptions.
Doctors who display posters in their offices stating their commitment to avoiding inappropriate prescription of antibiotics are less likely to do so.The posters are cost effective and remind the doctors and patients of the serious issue of unnecessary antibiotic use.The use of posters in medical offices leads to less inappropriate antibiotic use.Even with a 20% reduction in unnecessary prescriptions, nearly 33% of patients still receive antibiotics without a proper diagnosis, so poster usage is only a partial solution.