How many times have you gone to your local chemist, described your symptoms and got a strip of antibiotics in return? Well, while the antibiotics might make you feel better, the indiscriminate use of this miracle drug can have severe ill-effects on both you and the society at large.
A recent study called 'Global Trends in Antibiotic Consumption, 2000-2010,' by scientists from Princeton University has found that Indians are at the top of the list when it comes to popping antibiotic pills indiscriminately. The study found that there is a staggering 62% (8 billion units in 2001 to 12.9 billion units in 2010) increase in the amount of antibiotics popped amongst Indians with an average person taking upwards of 11 pills in a year.
While almost all antibiotics are indiscriminately used, cephalosporins, broad-spectrum penicillins and fluoroquinolones accounted for more than half of the increase.
What makes this trend so alarming?
Antibiotics were discovered as a cure for common bacterial infections that were capable of killing humans. While, this invention has saved many lives, the arbitrary use of this drug has led to the formation of antibiotic resistant bacteria. These bacteria are now capable of causing diseases that are quickly becoming incurable. In the current study, the growing fears of antibiotic resistance were confirmed by the finding that there was an increasing resistance to carbapenems and polymixins, two classes of drugs, long considered the last resort antibiotics for illnesses without any other known treatment.
In an earlier report by WHO, the organisation expressed concern about how antibiotic resistance had become a serious threat around the world and had the potential to affect anyone irrespective of region or age. Antibiotic resistance is now a major threat to public health. This trend is quickly putting us on the path of destruction, by sending us back to the dark ages a time when there were no antibiotics and people died of common bacterial infections.
What is antibiotic resistance?
Microorganisms constantly evolve to efficiently adapt to new environments and antibiotic resistance is one such adaptation. The ability of microorganisms to grow in the presence of an antibiotic that would normally kill them or limit their growth is called antimicrobial resistance. The bacteria which have become resistant cause infections which cannot be treated with the usual drugs, dosages or concentrations. Bacteria which have developed resistance to multiple antibiotics are called multidrug resistant (MDR) bacteria ormore commonly, superbugs.
What causes antibiotic resistance?
Antibiotic resistance is brought about by a number of factors, some of them include;
Looking at these statistics, it is about time that we start taking medicines seriously. Think about it, if a simple puss-filled boil could kill you, then no amount of medicine would be enough to save mankind.
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