From the history.

Did you know that the first antibiotic was discovered in 1928 and it was the greatest medical achievement of the twentieth century. Before that, millions of people died from infectious diseases.

Since the 40s, antibiotics began to be actively used for treatment and this was the beginning of the era of antibiotic therapy.

What are antibiotics and what diseases are they treated for?

Antibacterial drugs are special substances that cause bacteria to die or stop their growth and reproduction.

This group of drugs is quite numerous, it includes more than 100 compounds. They come in the form of local remedies: ointments, creams, drops; and systemic agents: tablets, capsules, suspensions, solutions for intravenous and intramuscular administration.

It is important to remember that antibiotics are used to treat infections caused by bacteria and will not help with flu, SARS and other diseases caused by viruses!

What is resistance (resistance), why does it occur and how to avoid it?

Bacteria quickly adapt to unfavorable environmental conditions, including the action of antibiotics. And it becomes harmless to them. This property is called stability (resistance).

In fact, any kind of bacteria can develop resistance to any antibacterial drug. Moreover, the formation of resistance occurs the faster, the larger and more often the antibiotic is used. Nowadays, more and more concerns are caused by the fact that bacteria are beginning to adapt to antibiotics faster than new ones are being invented. Diseases caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria are more severe and less responsive to treatment, and their costs increase severalfold.

Why does sustainability arise?

The main blame for the development of resilience lies with the physicians and patients themselves. If a person took the drug as prescribed by a doctor until complete recovery, then there would be no pathogenic bacteria in his body. But unfortunately, patients often take antibiotics without a doctor’s prescription, do not complete the course of treatment, and drink them in the wrong doses. Sometimes doctors are to blame for prescribing antibiotics unnecessarily for prophylaxis. As a result, this leads to an increase in the number of microorganisms that cannot be taken with simple antibiotics. Another problem is the use of antibiotics in agriculture and animal husbandry.

What to do?

The solution to the problem consists of several points. Do not self-medicate and take antibiotics strictly as prescribed by a doctor, strictly following the recommendations. Situations where these medications may be needed should also be avoided. Much of the disease can be prevented by regularly washing your hands with soap and water. Again, getting vaccinated against certain diseases results in less antibiotic use. The next point, it is necessary to reduce the use of antibiotics in agriculture and animal husbandry.

Is there something each of us can do to radically change the situation and prevent our future generations from returning to the pre-antibiotic era? Of course, yes. Antibiotics are a socially significant group of drugs; helping to preserve them for future generations is the business of each of us!