Health Facts: Antibiotics serve as essential medication for treating bacterial infections, but their abuse has dangerous consequences. Many people self-medicate by taking antibiotics without a prescription, discontinuing the course when symptoms improve, or reusing medicines from past treatments. These activities are dangerous and contribute to antibiotic resistance, which occurs when bacteria grow immune to previously effective drugs. It is critical to understand the potential risks to your health. In this video, we will discuss antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which has emerged as a major health concern in recent years.
Antibiotics are ineffective against viral infections like the common cold, and their indiscriminate use can disrupt the balance of good and harmful bacteria in the body, resulting in side effects such as diarrhea and reduced antibiotic efficiency. Antibiotic resistance can also spread through municipal sewage systems or by eating antibiotic-treated meat and seafood, resulting in diseases that are more difficult and expensive to cure. Antibiotics should only be taken as directed by a doctor, and all specified courses must be finished.