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: Antibiotics: Friend or Foe?
Dear DR. PAUL:
My 4 year old son has been on and off antibiotics for almost all
his life for recurrent ear infections. I'm worried about antibiotic
use. Will this destroy his antibodies? Will this ruin his teeth?
Help!
PEDIATRICIAN DR. PAUL Answers:
These are very common concerns shared by many parents. To answer
your questions specifically, antibiotics do not affect antibodies
and do not usually affect or ruin teeth. Now let's discuss antibiotics,
which treat bacteria and not viruses. Before antibiotics became
available, people, especially children and the elderly, were dying
from bacterial infections that today we can usually treat. Antibiotics,
like penicillin, work by killing or preventing bacteria from growing
and spreading. Usually our body can fight off infection, but sometimes
the infection is so powerful that we need antibiotics to help
kill or stop the bacteria so that our immune (or protection) system
clears up the rest.
It is clear that antibiotics are vital in today's medical practice,
even though, as with all medications, there may be some side effects
which overall are out-weighed by the benefits. Under certain conditions
antibiotics may even be prescribed over a long period of time
in order to protect from certain infections; for example, in children
with kidney abnormalities or weakened immune or respiratory systems.
On the down side, we now understand that overuse or misuse of
antibiotics can result in bacteria developing ways of resisting
the effect of the antibiotics. This is referred to as antibiotic
resistance. The so-called "superbugs" are becoming increasingly
resistant to more than one antibiotic. Experts fear that we will
eventually not be able to treat them with any of the antibiotics
available today. An example of such a bug is streptococcus pneumoniae,
the major cause of ear infections in children, which because of
resistance is becoming quite difficult to treat.
So today, it is important to have a rational approach to antibiotic
use. What I tell parents who look at me with a question mark on
their face when I say their child doesn't need antibiotics, is
that most infections that we see in children, including the common
cold, diarrhea and vomiting, are caused by viruses and do not
need antibiotics. Here are some guidelines that can help prevent
the development of antibiotic resistance:
- Viral infections should not be treated with antibiotics.
- If your child is prescribed antibiotics, he or she should
take the whole course that is prescribed even if feeling better.
Not completing the entire prescribed dose may also promote
resistance.
- Antibiotics should only be taken when prescribed by your
doctor.
- You should never use antibiotics given to you by someone
else or prescribed for a previous infection. To avoid this
temptation, throw away any extra antibiotics left over from
a previous infection.
In conclusion, antibiotics are one of mankind's best friends and
should not be seen as an enemy or something that will destroy
our system. On the contrary, they can protect and help us when
necessary. However, a sensible approach to their use is best. |
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it intended to be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. If
you suspect that your child has a medical condition, always
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