With the term ‘antibiotic resistance’ floating around and the nefarious activities of some of the antibiotic manufacturers, it becomes rather difficult to make a choice: get an antibiotic or go for an other type of treatment. Truth be told, just like any other method of treatment, antibiotics have their own fair share of pros and cons, both of which we aim to discuss and convey right here. So without any further ado, let’s just dig in:
Pros:
1. Effective: Antibiotics were considered miracle drugs for a reason. When invented for the first time in the 1940s, they nearly eliminated and treated everyone suffering from pneumonia within a short interval of time.
2. Availability: Since they are so effective, it becomes obvious that their availability is widespread as well, you can find them in almost any pharmacy near you.
3. Easy to Administer: Antibiotics can be easily consumed and administered in the body to do its work. Most can be taken orally, but some require the use of an injection to be released in the blood stream.
4. Cost: With all this goodness, companies have managed to keep the cost of these medicines quite affordable and low, making it even procurable for those who do not have a health insurance.
Cons:
1. Antibiotic Resistance: Perhaps the deal breaker for those who want to buy antibiotics is the term ‘antibiotic resistance’. It simply means that if the antibiotic kills a certain type of bacteria, there is a high chance that the bacteria which once again causes the disease in the body will this time be resistant to that antibiotic, thus forcing you to take a higher dose of that antibiotic before, which is certainly bad since antibiotics have some side effects too.
2. Side effects: Having antibiotics means you will have to be ready to face the side effects which come along as well. Some can be bearable, while some can be downright dangerous. A couple of examples would be discomfort, nausea, diarrhea, and light sensitivity. Thus, it is recommended to consult your family doc before trying anything.
3. Allergy: You may not even know it, but your body could be allergic to some kinds of antibiotics. Needless to say that bringing the allergen near the body has the potential to cause some of the most life-threatening situations. While you can dig in the ingredients to see if the kind of allergen is present in there, you simply cannot do anything if you aren’t aware about you having an allergy except keeping away from it as soon as you see the symptoms of allergies.
