Myths About Antibiotics You Should Stop Believing

Antibiotics come in very handy while battling any kind of infection or rash. They help the immune system by fighting off bad bacteria and preventing them from coming back, providing relief and cure.

But just like everything else, there are certain misconceptions about what they do and how they work.

If not used correctly, they can prove to be fatal as well. Before you commit a mistake that ends up being costly for your health, we bust some common myths and rules about antibiotic medicines that could help you: MYTH: ANTIBIOTICS CAN BE SHARED

Many people feel that a prescription given to somebody else may just suit them and this, in fact, is a common problem we all have encountered.

Medicines, which are prescribed for someone are given to fight a specific illness and not any illness in general.

What may work for one may not work for another and may even make it worse.

MYTH: ANTIBIOTICS AND ANTIBACTERIAL MEAN JUST THE SAME! We have all seen advertisements for antibacterial soaps and sprays which aim to do the same job as the antibiotic pills. But that is just not true.

Using antibacterial supplies can promise to kill bacteria, but they don’t do a good job of preventing them from coming back and boosting immunity, which antibiotic supplements do.

Hence, they cannot be considered as a total replacement.

MYTH: THEY ARE GREAT FOR COLD AND FLU This is one of the biggest myths we have all been made to believe growing up.

While antibiotics fight bacteria and even fungi strains, cold, flu and fever are types of viral infection which require other forms of treatment and popping in a simple antibiotic won’t provide much help.

MYTH: YOU DON’T NEED TO COMPLETE THE DOSAGE

Again, as a habit of practice, we all feel the need to stop the dosage in between just and when we start to feel a little better.

Antibiotics are usually prescribed in a set dosage, which should be completed as stated, even if you feel okay.

Stopping earlier than said could mean that the infection might make you sicker as it hasn’t really died down yet and might come up to attack again.

MYTH: YOU CAN STORE THEM FOR LATER! Another myth we all are guilty of is storing antibiotic pills for future use instead of actually paying a visit to the doctor’s clinic.

Doing so may do more harm than good as you run the risk of using expired medicines. Also, certain medicines have the ability to lose their strength over time, deeming them to be of no good use!

MYTH: THEY CAN ALSO PREVENT DISEASES! Since medicines do a good job fighting off illnesses, some people also commit the mistake of using them as a way to prevent diseases even before it actually strikes them.

Doing so is not at all advisable as it may not prevent the disease but also increase the risk of other minor infections developing alongside.

MYTH: USING THEM ALWAYS BECAUSE THEY ARE ‘EFFECTIVE’

Aren’t we all guilty of being our own doctors at times?

The moment when we feel we are coming down with an infection or don’t feel normal, we take a medicine ‘just in case’ so that we stay one step ahead of the illness.

This habit is never recommended. Taking in more antibiotics than required can make the bacteria strain more resistant as well as put you at risk of developing possible side effects like rashes, vomiting and other allergic reactions.