...Antibiotics: Not Always the Answer It was flu season. Almost everyone was getting sick. For a few days, my throat felt constricted, making it hard for me to swallow down food. Thinking that it was a cold, I ignored it and went on with my daily schedule. Two weeks passed, there was no change. I never really thought about looking at my throat to see what was going on, but once I looked, my tonsils were the size of golf balls. I went straight to my doctor, hoping it wasn't tonsillitis. The first thing we had to figure out was to see if this was a bacterial or viral infection. My tests results for strep throat, mononucleosis, tonsillitis, and blood samples to test for bacterial infection were all negative. My doctor reported that my results indicated that I had some sort of virus, and did not prescribe me antibiotics, raising questions for why I shouldn't be taking antibiotics for my infection. Since Alexander Fleming's discovery of them in 1927, antibiotics have played a profound role in ridding the population of bacterial infections. Antibiotics are chemicals that work to kill disease-causing, single-cell living organisms called bacteria ("The Danger of Antibiotic Overuse"). Bacteria can surpass our immune system, reproduce, and cause diseases or infection by producing chemicals that damage our bodies ("What Are Antibiotics? How Do Antibiotics Work?"). For instance, bacteria can invade our inner ear and cause a bacterial ear infection. Our immune system works to fight the...
Words: 1937 - Pages: 8
...Antibiotic resistance — what is it and why is it a problem? The development of antibiotics was one of the most important advances of medicine. Many bacterial infections (e.g. tuberculosis and infected wounds) that had previously had no effective treatment and often killed people, became treatable with antibiotics, saving millions of lives. Now, because of the overuse and misuse of antibiotics, bacterial infections that were once easily cured with antibiotics are becoming harder to treat. This is due to antibiotic resistance. The World Health Organization has called this one of the biggest threats to human health today. What is antibiotic resistance? Antibiotic resistance happens when bacteria change to protect themselves from an antibiotic. They are then no longer sensitive to that antibiotic. When this happens, antibiotics that previously would have killed the bacteria, or stopped them from multiplying, no longer work. What are ‘superbugs’? ‘Superbugs’ are bacteria that are resistant to several different antibiotics. The methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria commonly found in hospitals, and the bacteria that cause tuberculosis (Mycobacterium tuberculosis), are now very hard to treat because of antibiotic resistance. Strains of Escherichia coli (E. coli) — the bacteria that causes many urinary tract infections — have also developed resistance to a number of antibiotics. How does antibiotic resistance affect me? Using antibiotics when you don’t...
Words: 567 - Pages: 3
...Have antibiotics won the battle against bacterial infection or are they creating more serious health problems for the future? Antibiotics are substances that kill or restrict the growth of bacteria and fungi. They can be used to help the body fight infection from micro-organisms, antibiotics is making use of one micro-organism's natural means of attacking another. The debate on whether antibiotics are a safe cure for bacterial infections has been a long debated topic. The purpose of this essay is to ascertain whether antibiotics have won the battle against bacterial infection or whether they are creating more serious health problems for the future. This essay will argue that contrary to popular belief, antibiotics are creating more serious health problems for the future; this is because of the health issues exposure to antibiotics causes, Internal Ecological damage and the negative effects of overuse or misuse of antibiotics. One very important reason why antibiotics have not won the battle against bacterial infection or why they are creating more serious health problems for the future is because of the health issues exposure to antibiotics causes. Antibiotic resistance has been called one of the world’s most pressing public health problems. It can cause significant danger and sufferings for people who have common infections that once were easily treatable with antibiotics. When antibiotics fail to work, the consequences are longer-lasting illnesses; more doctor visits or extended...
Words: 540 - Pages: 3
...could bring if not controlled. Antibiotics, often called the “miracle drug,” are widely proclaimed because of the countless varieties there are and the variety of diseases they cure and treat. Four out of every five Americans have used one type of antibiotic to treat common infections such as strep throat and even life threatening infections such as pneumonia (CBS/AP 2013). Bacterial infections that were previously incurable are now things of the past and “superbugs” that have risen from different strains of antimicrobial resistant bacteria are becoming threats of the future. Antibiotics have saved and helped the lives of millions worldwide, however, the commonly abused drugs are becoming a threat to the natural world. Antibiotics are chemical substances produced by microorganisms which destroy or prevent the growth of bacteria and other microorganisms (McGrew 22). In 1928, Alexander Fleming, a Scottish bacteriologist, accidentally unearthed...
Words: 1444 - Pages: 6
...There are several people who use antibiotics for the wrong reasons. Some people think that using antibiotics will get rid of a cold or the flu virus faster or clear up a skin condition. Antibiotics should only be consumed for the infectious illness in which they were suggested for. Antibiotics are abused world-wide, and abuse of the medication can do more harm than help. I chose to research antibiotic abuse and the underlying issues with antibiotics. Antibiotics are being abused in so many ways by people and industries everywhere. The focus will be on agricultural abuse of antibiotics, human abuse, and antibiotic resistance. I will conduct various phone or face to face interviews with individuals as well as provide a questionnaire survey to obtain the information needed for this particular project. What are antibiotics? Antibiotics are “A medicine (such as penicillin or its derivatives) that inhibits the growth of or destroys microorganisms”, (What You Should Know about Antibiotics, 2012, p. 3). Antibiotics are used to treat various infections within the body cavity. They help ward off unwanted illnesses. There are various types of antibiotics each one has a significant role in fighting bacteria or fungal infections. “How do antibiotics work? When properly prescribed for a bacterial illness, antibiotics join forces with your body’s own defenses and literally wage war against invading bacteria. Some antibiotics dissolve the protective cell wall of an organism, rupturing and...
Words: 1681 - Pages: 7
...Human Biology Antibiotics Resistance Pathogens are organisms, such as a virus, fungus, or bacteria that cause a disease in another organism. Diseases range from the common cold to food poisoning to meningitis. They spread in various ways such as coming into contact with bodily fluids, being in contact with an infected, or ingestion. Bacteria are microorganisms too small to see that exist in any environment in the world. Viruses are microorganisms that can only reproduce through a host cell. After contacting a host cell, the virus will insert genetic material and take over the hosts functions. The infected cell now reproduces as the virus. Viruses can infect all types of living forms, from animals and plants to bacteria to humans. Antibiotics are types of medication that destroy or slow down the growth infections caused by bacteria. Antibiotics specifically target bacteria. Viruses are not structured like bacteria so antibiotics do not work on them. Viruses do not reproduce on their own, and therefore are not considered living. Antibiotics naturally destroy or kill bacteria but in some cases it does not. Antibiotics resistance occurs when strains of bacteria in the human body become resistant to antibiotics due to the improper use and abuse of antibiotics. Causes of abuse are largely due to physicians and patients. Patients often urge their doctors to prescribe them antibiotics when tests do not prove they are infected by a bacterium. The body becomes immune to...
Words: 373 - Pages: 2
...Reducing the Use of Antibiotics Antibiotics are created using natural substances which bacteria secrete to kill other bacteria when forced to compete for limited nutrients. The first antibiotic, Penicillin, was discovered in the 1928 by Alexander Fleming and began being mass produced by the 1940’s. Within the same decade, resistant strains of bacteria began to appear. (1) Since then, 18 dangerous drug-resistant superbugs have been discovered (according to the CDC). A bacterium is referred to as a ‘superbug’ if it carries several resistant genes within its DNA. (2) Bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics primarily through two ways: by mutation or by horizontal gene transfer, in which bacteria share resistant genes with other bacteria essentially swapping out portions of their DNA for mutated sections. Antibiotics kill bacteria by binding to the cells protein so that the protein cannot function properly, hindering the bacteria from growing and reproducing. If the bacteria contains mutated portions of DNA, the antibiotic cannot bind to the altered protein and the bacteria won’t be affected. Due to natural selection, the bacteria that survived, the mutated bacteria, will be left to grow and reproduce and all that will remain will be the antibiotic resistant bacteria. (1) There continues to be an increase in antibiotic resistant bacteria due to a variety of reasons, mainly the over-prescription of antibiotics, the misuse of antibiotics (such as not taking them...
Words: 1549 - Pages: 7
...conventional antibiotics and how their abuse led to antibiotic resistance in bacteria. Alternative antimicrobials will be reviewed by taking into consideration their mechanisms of action and how they can represent a viable option to address the issue of antibiotic resistance. Antimicrobial Background ------------------------------------------------- Figure 1: Structure of penicillin and β-lactam ring (Adapted from LNLS, 2013) ------------------------------------------------- Figure 1: Structure of penicillin and β-lactam ring (Adapted from LNLS, 2013) Antimicrobials are substances that kill or suppress microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and viruses (EPA, 2014). The first evidence of antimicrobials dates back to the Egyptians who used mouldy bread to treat surface infections (Wainwright, 1989). At the beginning of the 20th century, Paul Ehrlich synthesized the first antimicrobial agent known as Salvarsan, a drug used for treating syphilis (Aminov, 2010). Successively Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin by noticing that the growth of Staphylococcus aureus was inhibited in presence of the mold produced by Penicillium fungi. This led to the conclusion that microorganisms produce substances to limit the growth of other competing microorganisms (Amrls, 2014). From that moment onwards, new types of antimicrobial agents were developed such as streptomycin, chloramphenicol, macrolide and tetracycline, causing a significant decrease in the mortality rate due to bacterial infections...
Words: 3946 - Pages: 16
...Erroneous Prescription: Using Antibiotics to Make Meat Daniel Gordillo Rodríguez DeVry University Erroneous Prescription: Using Antibiotics to Make Meat Have you ever wondered where does the meat you purchase in your local supermarket is produced? If a package is not marked organic or free range, you can assume that the meat comes from a factory farm or Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO). A CAFO functions as an industrial plant and its only purpose is to produce meat products as rapidly and as lucratively as they possibly can. A CAFO is an agricultural operation that congregates animals, feed, manure, urine, dead animals, and production operations on a small land area. The production methods used in these operations is the cause for measurable damages across a wide range of environmental, biological, and economic factors. (Institute of Science, Technology, and Public Policy, 2008) One of these factors is a public health one. The extensive use of antibiotics in livestock CAFO’s, especially for non-therapeutic uses such as growth promotion contributes to the development of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms that are more difficult to treat and are causing food-borne diseases in humans. It is important to identify and reduce the unnecessary use of antibiotics on these animals in order to prevent the creation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Some of the Difficulties For decades, antibiotics such as Tylosin and Monensin have been used for the treatment...
Words: 2125 - Pages: 9
...Antibiotics: A Harmful Misused Product Today, the human race has way too much reliance on antibiotics and products associated with them. Many people are extremely unaware of what can happen if antibiotics are overused or used incorrectly. Nobody allows their body to heal itself. In certain cases antibiotics should be used to help cure one of an infection but not in the ways they are used today. Antibiotics can be found in many household that includes mostly all wipes and sprays. Antibiotics being included in all of these products can do nothing but hurt one in the long run. Placing antibiotics in cleaning appliances can cause all bacteria to become immune and change so that the antibiotic becomes unproductive and the bacterium becomes stronger. Antibiotics are used for anything from cuts to strep throat and pneumonia and have been for a very long time. They are becoming impotent because they are used incorrectly by nearly everyone: doctors, patients, and even people raising animals for meat. The misuse would be prescribing the drugs completely incorrectly. In doing this, superbugs are produced and they are extremely antibiotic resistant and almost impossible to stop. Antibiotics also kill some of the good and helpful bacteria inside of the body which may allow resistant bacteria to fill in. The human body itself has sets up its own defenses with pathogens and other walls that fight and harmful bacteria off without any use of antibiotics. It is very faulty to overuse any type...
Words: 1676 - Pages: 7
...such example of a real life human creation that has developed unintended consequences is the invention and use of antibiotics. The intended effect of antibiotics is to kill bacteria that cause infections in order to...
Words: 1528 - Pages: 7
...method to treat urinary tract infection over antibiotics since misuse of antibiotics can led to bacterial resistance(Scholes et al., 2004). This essay will establish PICO (population, intervention, comparison and outcome) question in the given scenario where a 22 year old Susan visits the GP with symptoms of urinary frequency, dysuria, lower back pain and shivering. She was diagnosed with Urinary tract infection (hereby referred as UTI) and antibiotics were prescribed. However after developing thrush due to antibiotics for urinary tract infection previously, she is reluctant to take antibiotics. On surfing the internet she read about cranberry juice being used to treat UTI and is considering to stop her antibiotics. PICO question development In order to provide the right pathway to commence our research and ensuring that every questions are suitable and relevant, PICO model will be used which is Population, Intervention, Comparison and Outcome(Bronson and Davis, 2011). In the given scenario, population would be women suffering from UTI. Similarly intervention is using cranberry juice to prevent UTI and comparison is to use antibiotics. Richardson et al., 2014 mentioned that the outcome would analyze the effectiveness of the intervention. Therefore the outcome would be effectiveness of cranberry juice to prevent UTI. After this systematic approach, PICO question can be developed: Is cranberry juice more effective than antibiotics for the treatment of UTI in young women? ...
Words: 1139 - Pages: 5
...contrast in disruptive selection is the distribution curve shifts both ways and focuses on two or more phenotypes versus intermediate phenotypes. An example of disruptive selection is the British snails. They live in low-vegetation areas and in forest areas. Thrushes feed on the the snails with dark shells and no bands in the vegetation areas and they feed on the snails with the light bands in the forest areas. Therefore, these snails had to adapt to their own environment. 2. Overuse and misuse of antibiotics can cause resistant bacteria to form through natural selection. When you introduce selective pressure (antibiotics) to a bacterial infection, some of the bacteria can acquire “free” DNA from its environment. Which can mimic the antibiotics genetic make up. This causes some bacteria to create a resistant gene that can be passed to the next generation. As a result the genetically resistant bacteria keeps increasing in population. Not completing a course of antibiotics can also cause resistance bacteria to breed, by not killing off all of the bacteria in the infection. 3. The transition from aquatic to terrestrial life of vertebrae groups require four different major changes to occur. First, the sensory system (water vs air) had to change yo adapt...
Words: 500 - Pages: 2
...that could resist the antibiotic, thus posing a renewed threat to the world’s population. Ever since the establishment of antibiotics, new “superbugs” have appeared that for years have challenged scientists to keep up with specialized medications to defeat and prevent these intrusive foes. Although most scientists have been effective in their research, newer, and stronger strains of super bacteria continue to appear. Many experts have concluded that the misuse of antibiotics is the main factor for the growth of this naturally occurring phenomenon. Due to incorrect prescriptions, poor drug quality and supply, and user non-compliance, antibiotic resistant bacteria have grown significantly in numbers, and now pose as a major threat to the global population. As humans, we tend to put our trust and our entire lives at the hands of our medical experts. Healthcare is one of the most expensive services in this country, so why should someone have to worry about contracting a superbug infection? Presently, there are many types of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, but the six most common make up the acronym ESKAPE: which are Staphylococcus Aureus, Klebsiella Pneumoniae, Acinetobacter Baunnannii, Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, and Enterobacter (Watson 10). The fact that there are so many complex strains of resistant bacteria helps to understand how prescribing treatment may be difficult. In the past, doctors often mistakenly prescribed antibiotics for infections caused...
Words: 1007 - Pages: 5
...outcomes, and other regulatory action and implementation of the FDA. Introduction: The Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act (FDASIA) is a regulation which was proposed by The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or Agency) to establish a list of “qualifying pathogens” that are likely to cause serious harm to public health. FDASIA utilizes the agency’s ability to protect and improve public health by giving the authority to collect user fees, promoting innovation, increasing stakeholder involvement, and enhancing the safety of the drug supply chain. Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a “staph” germ that does not improve with the first-line antibiotics that typically cure staph infections. When this takes place, the germ is “resistant” to the antibiotic. This class of antibiotics includes penicillin, amoxicillin, oxacillin, methicillin, and others. (MRSA, MedlinePlus) MRSA has commonly been known as a hospital-acquired infection as the staph germs are mainly spread by skin-to-skin contact. Recently, new strains have developed in the public that can cause normally healthy people to have severe infections. Over the past four decades, MRSA has transformed from a maintainable nuisance to a serious public health concern. (Antimicrobial (Drug)...
Words: 2680 - Pages: 11
