By Christine Robinson, PharmD, 拉莫耶健康药房
Can you recall the last time you went to the doctor for 链球菌性喉炎 or a urinary tract infection? Your care provider likely ordered an antibiotic medicine that you picked up at the pharmacy.
An antibiotic is a prescription medicine that fights infections caused by bacteria. It works by either killing the bacteria or making it difficult for the bacteria to grow and multiply. Antibiotics are usually pills that you take for a certain number of days, 也适合儿童, 抗生素药物可能是液体.
但是细菌到底是什么呢? And why can’t we use antibiotics to treat every illness?
细菌就是细菌. 的y live in the environment and all over the inside and outside of our bodies. 大多数细菌是无害的. In fact, many are even helpful in keeping your body working properly.
然而，有些细菌会让你生病. Your immune system can typically attack harmful bacteria before it multiplies and causes symptoms. 但, sometimes the number of harmful bacteria is very high, 免疫系统无法将它们全部击退. 在这种情况下，就需要抗生素.
如何知道何时需要使用抗生素
Your 医疗服务提供者 is the only person who can say whether you may need an antibiotic when you’re sick. 记住这一点很重要 antibiotics only treat certain infections caused by bacteria, such as 链球菌性喉炎, 百日咳, and urinary tract infections. 的y may be used to treat life-threatening conditions caused by bacteria, such as 脓毒症这是人体对感染的极端反应.
然而, 抗生素对病毒不起作用, 比如那些引起感冒的, 咳嗽, 大多数是喉咙痛和流感. Some illnesses will get better on their own, without the use of antibiotics. Taking antibiotics when they’re not needed won’t help you, and can cause other problems.
的 疾病控制和预防中心 estimates that about 47 million antibiotic prescriptions each year could be unnecessary or are used for conditions that don’t need antibiotics. It’s important that patients only take antibiotics that are prescribed to them when their provider decides an antibiotic is the right treatment.
Unfortunately, antibiotics don’t just kill bad bacteria. 它们还能杀死你体内有益的细菌. 这可能会导致胃部不适等副作用, 腹泻, 皮疹, 或者其他感染，比如酵母菌感染.
More serious side effects of antibiotics may include allergic reactions. 的 disruption of normal healthy bacteria in the colon can create an unhealthy germ — known as “C. difficile” — which causes 腹泻 that can lead to colon damage and death. It’s important to contact your provider immediately if you develop any side effects from taking antibiotics.
严格按照处方服用抗生素
If your 医疗服务提供者 decides that an antibiotic is the best treatment when you’re ill, it’s important to take the antibiotic exactly as instructed. You should take the medicine for the exact number of days as indicated, 即使你开始感觉好些了. 如果你及早停止治疗, 你可能没有消灭足够的细菌, 病情可能会复发.
Always read the instructions on the medicine bottle and ask your pharmacist if you have any questions about your antibiotic. 在药房配药 拉莫耶健康药房 在Stowe总是包含说明, 药物的名称, 如何以及何时服用, 能维持多久. You’ll also find the phone number to call with questions on the medicine bottle.
另外, 抗生素绝不能与他人共用, and it’s important that you do not take antibiotics prescribed for someone else. This can delay the best treatment for you, make you even sicker, or cause side effects.
Returning to work or school after starting antibiotics
Antibiotics start working quickly once you begin the treatment, and you can expect to see improvement in symptoms within one to three days.
For many of the common childhood bacterial infections treated with antibiotics, such as 链球菌性喉炎, 24 hours of being on the antibiotic is enough to make sure your child is no longer contagious. If you or your child is fever-free and feeling better after 24 hours, 就可以回去工作或上学了.
有些感染，比如 百日咳, 然而, require a patient to be on antibiotics for at least five days to make sure that they are no longer contagious. 一定要按照护理人员的指示去做.
仍然, it’s important to keep energy level and appetite in mind when determining how soon to return to school or work. 如果你或你的孩子还在发烧, 感到疲倦或不想吃太多东西, stay at home for another day or two until you’re fully recovered.
For more information whether an antibiotic may be appropriate for an illness you or someone in your family is experiencing, 请与您的 Lamoille健康合作伙伴 医疗服务提供者.