Saturday, September 30, 2006
Antibiotic Resistance
An antibiotic is any chemical that is formulated to attack bacteria. Antibiotics that are administered to people will do one of three things to bacteria: 1. Kill it, 2: Disable it (causing normal antibodies to be able to kill it), or 3. Be infective and do nothing. Some antibiotics are natural, such as certain fungus and others are engineered by man. Antibiotics are ineffective against viruses; they are only used to attack, infection causing, bacteria. Some bacteria can survive even when antibiotics are administered to kill it. This "survival ability," is referd to resistance. The more resistant bacteria are to antibiotics, the higher the dosage administered to kill it must be.
Antibiotic resistance refers to when regardless of how much antibiotic is administered to a person, the particular bacteria refuses to die. The only thing that can be done is to try a different type of antibiotic. One problem is that some bacteria are resistant because it reproduces itself to fast to be killed. Meaning the amount being killed is much less than the amount being produced. When bacteria have antibiotic resistance, it starts to cause infection more rapidly. Other antibiotics must be tried before the infection spreads too much. Antibiotic resistance is a big problem in people who have reoccurring infections. Some infections are minor and will go away on their own, but others can seriously harm or even kill you.
Many of the bacteria that we get in our bodies come from the food we eat. For example raw chicken can contain E-coli (a bacteria that is thrives in health meat); but the spread of this bacteria can be prevented by using hygienic kitchen practices. The best way to prevent the spread of bacteria is to know where it exists. Antibiotic resistance usually occurs in bacteria that have been around for many years. Unfortunately, different bacteria will always develop different ways to resist antibiotics; but at the same time medical science will continue to come up with different antibiotics to fight the bacteria. There are many antibiotics out there that have stood the test of time in fighting bacteria, and will continue to do so in the future.
Antibiotic resistance refers to when regardless of how much antibiotic is administered to a person, the particular bacteria refuses to die. The only thing that can be done is to try a different type of antibiotic. One problem is that some bacteria are resistant because it reproduces itself to fast to be killed. Meaning the amount being killed is much less than the amount being produced. When bacteria have antibiotic resistance, it starts to cause infection more rapidly. Other antibiotics must be tried before the infection spreads too much. Antibiotic resistance is a big problem in people who have reoccurring infections. Some infections are minor and will go away on their own, but others can seriously harm or even kill you.
Many of the bacteria that we get in our bodies come from the food we eat. For example raw chicken can contain E-coli (a bacteria that is thrives in health meat); but the spread of this bacteria can be prevented by using hygienic kitchen practices. The best way to prevent the spread of bacteria is to know where it exists. Antibiotic resistance usually occurs in bacteria that have been around for many years. Unfortunately, different bacteria will always develop different ways to resist antibiotics; but at the same time medical science will continue to come up with different antibiotics to fight the bacteria. There are many antibiotics out there that have stood the test of time in fighting bacteria, and will continue to do so in the future.
