What are the dangers of misusing antibiotics?

"Superbugs" is a term that used to exist only in science fiction, but it is not so far away from us now. "Superbugs" does not refer to a specific type of bacteria, but rather to bacteria that are resistant to multiple antibiotics. Its correct name should be "multi-drug resistant bacteria" [1]. As early as 2010, a Belgian man infected with "superbugs" died in Brussels, becoming the first death reported in the world from "superbugs". In August 2016, in Reno, Nevada, a woman in her 70s was infected with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, which was resistant to all 26 antibiotics available in the United States. She died in September of the same year due to ineffective treatment. This sounded the alarm for the World Health Organization and all of humanity. Just imagine, if "superbugs" become contagious, then humanity will return to an era without antibiotics [2].

"You're making such a scare. I just took a few cephalosporin pills for a cold. It shouldn't be that serious!"

Things are not as simple as we think. We have learned about antibiotics before, and we know that they are substances produced by competition between bacteria. They are non-selective and attack all microorganisms except themselves. Most people mistakenly believe that antibiotics can treat all inflammations. In fact, antibiotics are ineffective against inflammation caused by viruses. There are a large number of normal and beneficial bacteria in the human body. If antibiotics are used to treat aseptic inflammation, these drugs will enter the human body and inhibit and kill the beneficial bacteria in the human body, causing dysbiosis and decreased resistance. Local soft tissue bruises, redness, swelling, pain, allergic dermatitis, drug-induced dermatitis, and inflammation caused by viruses that often occur in daily life should not be treated with antibiotics [3].

As the saying goes, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” This also applies to bacteria. The misuse of antibiotics can cause bacteria that are not killed to mutate and become drug-resistant. The more they are misused, the more “training” the bacteria undergo, and eventually they will become “super bacteria” as mentioned at the beginning. In severe cases, the patient will be incurable[1].

In addition, antibiotics are not absolutely safe, and blind use can cause permanent harm. In the 2005 Spring Festival Gala, the dance of Thousand-armed Avalokitesvara performed by 21 deaf-mute actors with an average age of 21 moved the whole country. However, most of them were not born deaf-mute, but were disabled by drugs. Children, in particular, are not fully grown and are particularly sensitive to some drugs, and are prone to adverse reactions. For example, aminoglycosides are prone to ear and kidney toxicity; tetracyclines are prone to damage to teeth, etc. [3]

In conclusion,

There are many harmful effects of drug abuse, especially antibiotics.

It is ineffective against viral colds, and anti-inflammatory drugs are not effective.

Abuse of probiotics cannot cure diseases, but it can kill people.

Dysbacteriosis, low immunity, and drug-resistant bacteria.

Be cautious when using medication for children and go to the hospital for a clear diagnosis.

References

[1] Liu Danhua, Zhang Xiaowei, Zhang Chong. Antibiotic abuse and superbugs[J]. Foreign Medicine (Antibiotics), 2019, 40(01): 1-4.

[2] Liu Yinqi, Sun Qiang, Yin Jia, Xu Xueran, Yao Lu. Policy evolution and implications of China's antibiotic resistance management[J]. Chinese Health Policy Research, 2019, 12(05): 44-48.

[3] Zhong Nanshan et al., Guiding principles for the clinical application of antimicrobial drugs (2015 edition) [M]. Beijing: People's Medical Publishing House, 2015.2-63.