Antibiotic Resistance as a Growing Problem

Antibiotic resistance is a problem that can affect you, your children, and your children’s children

The Affects of Antibiotic Overuse

We all know about the problem of 2nd hand cigarette smoke. Now there’s a new problem I call 2nd hand infection resistance.

Increasingly I see patients who have just finished a complete course of the “best” antibiotic. However, they come to me because they are still sick or worse.

Why bugs are getting resistant.

This is because of how popular it has been to instantly prescribe antibiotics for Everything. Easy for the doctor, easy for the patient, great for the drug companies. Drug resistant bacteria are on the rise. Infections like tonsillitis, sinusitis, ear infections – no longer clear with a shot of penicillin.

Everyday, we learn about drugs with few side effects that worked yesterday, no longer work for an infection. This affects you personally! It is your friend who pops a few pills with every sniffle that is causing the growth of drug resistant bacteria that can land your child in intensive care.

Why drug resistance is increasing.

Antibiotics are wonderful. But if you don’t take a full dose, the bacteria develop a resistance to that drug and drugs of the same class. If you stop your antibiotic halfway through, as the antibiotic drops below the killing dose, then the bacteria that survive can develop resistance. The worst is taking one or two pills and stopping . Then ALL the remaining bacteria can become resistant.

Overuse of a drug is a major factor. When a patient is seen, it only takes 5 minutes to write a prescription. But it may take 1/2 hour or longer for the doctor to try to convince the patient not to take an antibiotic and even then he may fail. Many doctors give up and write the prescription, even though it’s not going to help.

Drug vs. placebo

Worse, articles in the Archives of Internal Medicine and Lancet show that the patients have the same sinus result after the antibiotic as with the placebo! Except they don’t get stomach upset or vaginal thrush with the placebo!

These problems affect you personally.

The drug resistance is different from one city to the next even in the same state. A drug that is effective in Detroit may be ineffective against the same bug in Chicago. This is why doctors must take cultures to see which drug – if any – work.

The doctors are worried.

Every week I get a report from my hospital that my favorite drug no longer works. This is truly frightening. In practice, I belong to the drug of the month club – I use what the hospital reports works – this month.

What can you do to help stop this menace?

Antibodies not Antibiotics!

The very latest medical research is showing that for common infections like sore throat sinus, etc., and common sense things like rest, nasal irrigation, adequate liquids, chicken soup and tea, may be more effective than an antibiotic. Encourage your friends to accept a doctor’s recommendation for non -antibiotic treatment. Discourage them from insisting on antibiotics for each sniffle. Learn about the serious side effects of antibiotics and tell your friends.

This is one reason I am never the first kid on the block to try the latest miracle antibiotic. I wait a while till the side effects become known.

Remember the greatest “antibiotic” of all is still chicken soup and hot tea with lemon! Also, drink enough liquids so that your bugs are diluted. If you are sick and coughing you should drink enough to turn your urine light.

Set an example.

By your own example of only taking antibiotics when you need them, by finishing all of the prescription, by advising your friends to finish their prescription, you can make a real difference right in your own back yard!

Healthy living.

Of course you get sick when you never exercise, eat only junk, smoke and feel depressed all day. Set an example of eating right and living right. You would be amazed how much difference your example can make.

Drug free advice.

Tell your friends about drug free methods. They can find lots of recommendations for drug free treatment at www.ent-consult.com and www.grossan.com. You are welcome to copy this material and spread it around. Then next time your friend has a sniffle she will drink hot tea and skip the antibiotic.

Don’t forget Tai Chi.

Yoga, Tai Chi, all these forms of exercise can help you fight illness and avoid antibiotics. I personally learned about sinus relief through pulsatile irrigation from the Yoga teacher Indra Devi. She lived to 101 without ever getting a sinus infection based on this 3,000 year old practice. My Hydro Pulse nasal / sinus irrigator is essentially this method brought up to date.

By your effort we can correct the overuse and abuse of antibiotics, and this could save the life of someone you love.

Help stop the overuse of antibiotics. You could save the life of someone you love.

Because of the overuse and abuse of antibiotics, there are more and more drug resistant bacteria showing up daily. Each neighbor that takes an antibiotic any time they have a sniffle helps make these bugs more resistant. This happens right in your town when your friends abuse antibiotics.

You have learned several drug free methods to handle common nose and throat conditions. Please copy these suggestions and tell your friends about them. Have them check our websites too – Hydromedonline.com. Then next time they have a sniffle they will take hot tea instead of the antibiotic and we will have fewer drug resistant bacteria in your town.

Once upon a time when your child was sick, a week of penicillin was all it took. Today it may take weeks or even hospitalization for the same bug which is now antibiotic resistant! By setting an example yourself and showing your friends, maybe we can return to “the old days” when a shot of penicillin was a cure!

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