Page 2 - Antibiotics.pdf

Stop popping those pills. You don't
need them if all you have is a cold;
what's more, they won't even help.
India is the world's largest consumer of
antibiotics, followed by China and the US.
(Getty Images / I Stock)
Antibiotics should not be given to children
with ear infections; treatment should be
limited to paracetamol and ibuprofen, say
new guidelines from UK's health
watchdog, the National Institute for
Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
It found that 60% of children with a
middle-ear infection (acute otitis media)
felt better within a day without antibiotics,
and most others got better on their own.
The UK warning comes a few days after
the US Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention warned parents that
antibiotics were not effective against viral
infections like the common cold, flu, most
sore throats, bronchitis, and many sinus
and ear infections.
Here's when to say yes and when to say
no to antibiotics for common infections.
Antibiotics treat bacterial infections &
P.G. Be er Living
are useless against infections
caused by viruses, such as the common
cold (runny or stuffy nose, sneezing) or
seasonal flu that causes fever and body
ache. Steam inhalation works much
better than any medication to improve
symptoms of cold and a scratchy throat,
while paracetamol does wonders for pain
and fever.
Seasonal flu, including H1N1 or swine flu,
are caused by viruses that remain
unscathed by antibiotics. All viral
infections are self-limiting, lasting for five
days to a week. The flu vaccine taken
annually protects against infection and
severe disease.
You need antibiotics if you have strep
throat, which is caused by infection of the
streptococcus bacteria, which makes the
throat feel raw and makes swallowing
painful. The rawness and pain in the
throat begin suddenly and are
accompanied by high fever of over 101°F
without cough, sneezing, or other cold or
flu symptoms. Some people may develop
swollen lymph nodes in the neck and
white or yellow spots or coating on the
throat and tonsils.
The B. Pertussis bacterial infection
causes whooping cough, which starts
with a runny nose, fever and mild cough
and slowly progresses to weeks of
coughing fits, which may be
accompanied by a whooping, gasping
sound or vomiting.
The coughing fits becomes increasingly
frequent and more severe as the illness