Antibiotics are a group of drugs used for treating a wide variety of infections. As the name suggests, anti means against and bios signifies life. Thus these are drugs which act against the life of microbes.

Different antibiotics kill or retard the growth of different microbes, thus preventing and or treating infections. Thus they are very useful and indispensable in different infectious conditions. They have helped much in reducing the load of infectious diseases.

But with use of antibiotics for several decades, many serious issues are coming up. The most serious one is of drug resistance, which is even being discussed by W.H.O. Microbes are getting resistant to the antibiotics.

Penicillin which was once a wonder drug for serious bacterial infections caused by staphylococci is no longer effective. Similarly many other germs are also becoming resistant to conventional antibiotics. This happens due to antibiotics being used indiscriminately or in insufficient doses. One may use antibiotics by self medication, that too where not needed as in mild coughs or cold.

A person may use antibiotic remaining from a previous prescription without having a clear need for it. The doctor may be pressurized to write an antibiotic without waiting for test results . Even a doctor may prescribe antibiotic empirically due to rush of patients or lack of adequate tests to detect the underlying germs responsible for the infection.

A specific antibiotic is useful for a certain type or types of microbes, like amoxicillin is active against microbes causing cough or infections of the respiratory system. Using antibiotic indiscriminately for an infection for which it is not efficacious does not help in cure and also tends to make the microbes resistant. Due to one or more of all these reasons, the infection causing microbes adapt and change their body such that they are no longer killed by the medicine given. Antibiotic resistance is not only an individual concern but a public health one.

Any infection occurring will occur in a more severe and sometimes deadly form, will spread more rapidly and will be difficult to halt if antibiotics do not act on the causative germs.

Normally some bacteria reside in various parts of the body in a friendly way as in mouth, gut, vagina, urinary tract. These bacteria also help in body functions, for example bacteria present in gut aid in digestion and also produce B.complex which is helpful for body. Antibiotics kill these germs as well along with disease producing microbes, thus disturbing body functions.

One can develop ulcers over the mouth or tongue due to depletion of gut flora or anemia due to depletion of folates of body.

There are several conditions where antibiotics are not needed. Common cold, cough, acute diarrhea, many such conditions are caused by viruses and do not need antibiotics. Moreover these conditions are self subsiding and improve with just palliative care over some time. Similarly they are not useful for allergic cold or cough. Using antibiotics for them does not help much and contributes to growing antibiotic resistance.

Some antibiotics like fluoroquinolones tend to interfere with skeletal growth of a child. Tetracyclines cause permanent discoloration of teeth and uncomfortable photophobia, i.e. pain on looking at light. Sulphur group of drugs like bactrim, chloramphenicol are known to cause anemia.

As for any other substance, allergy can be to antibiotics as well. Penicillin and sulphur drugs are known to cause life threatening allergic reactions. There is a long list, no antibiotic is hazard free.

Collective efforts by all concerned can help to solve the growing problem of growing antibiotic resistance and help to ensure that they are used effectively and safely. People need to be more aware of preventive measures regarding infectious diseases. Improving personal and food hygiene goes a long way in prevention of these problems.

People also have to be more aware of the antibiotics as to why one has been prescribed , why it is important to take it in prescribed dose and why antibiotics should not be taken unless prescribed by a doctor. They should also know the possible side effects and report if any adverse effect occurs. If one has forgotten what a doctor or nurse has explained, they can look at the product information.

Antibiotics are a very important tool for good personal as well as public health and should be used judiciously.