Since its inception, antibiotics have played an indelible role in the fight against human and bacteriological infections, saving countless lives. However, the increasing abuse of antibiotics in recent years has led to increased bacterial resistance, which has once again exposed us to the enormous challenge of infectious diseases. Therefore, proper understanding and rational use of antibiotics has become a priority for public health.
Antibiotics are a class of drugs capable of inhibiting or eliminating bacteria, and their mechanism of action is primarily to treat bacterial infections by interfering with biological processes such as cytowall synthesis of bacteria, protein synthesis and nucleic acid metabolism. But antibiotics are not effective for all diseases, especially for viral infections such as common flu, influenza, most cough and throat pain. Because of the nature of the difference between the virus and bacteria in terms of their structural and physiological characteristics, antibiotics cannot function against the virus. In real life, however, many people tend to routinely take antibiotics on their own when they experience cold symptoms, which not only does not help the situation but may also trigger a series of adverse reactions.
Misuse of antibiotics has many serious consequences. First, antibiotics destroy harmful bacteria while also disrupting normal population balance in the human intestinal tract. These normal strains play an important role in maintaining the digestive and immune functions of the human body. Inconsistent strains can lead to gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhoea, constipation, indigestion and even more serious intestinal diseases, such as pseudo-film intestine infections resulting from hard-to-feed infections, which are often dangerous and difficult to treat. Second, the unreasonable use of antibiotics accelerates the emergence of bacterial resistance. When bacteria are exposed frequently to antibiotics below an effective therapeutic dose or exposed to antibiotics over a long period of time, they gradually adapt and produce resistance mechanisms that render otherwise effective antibiotics ineffective. This means that, in the future, we may find ourselves in a drug-free situation in the face of real bacterial infections. The World Health Organization estimates that, if this trend is not effectively contained, there will be devastating consequences for global health, owing to the high annual number of deaths caused by antibiotics.
In addition, antibiotics abuse is found in agriculture and livestock. In order to prevent animal diseases and promote their growth, some farmers add large amounts of antibiotics to feed. These antibiotics are left in animals and enter the human body through the food chain. Long-term ingestion of foods containing antibiotics residues induces the production of resistant bacteria through continuous exposure to low-dose antibiotics in the human intestinal tract. At the same time, there is a risk of human allergies and immune disorders.
To avoid the misuse of antibiotics, we must take a series of measures. For the general public, there is a need to raise awareness of antibiotics and of their correct use and methods. When the body is not in due course, medical treatment should be provided in a timely manner, in accordance with the professional diagnosis and treatment recommendations of the doctor, and the blind use of antibiotics should be avoided. Doctors, as key decision makers for the use of antibiotics, should be more closely guided by the signs of their use, make a rational selection of antibiotics based on the type of pathogens, the results of the drug-sensitive tests and the patient ‘ s specific condition, and ensure the accuracy of the dose and treatment. Medical institutions should strengthen the management and monitoring of the use of antibiotics, establish sound regulations and evaluation systems for the rational use of antibiotics, conduct regular training and education activities for doctors and improve their level of rational use. At the same time, the relevant government departments should strengthen the regulation of the use of antibiotics in agriculture and livestock, strictly limit the type and dose of antibiotics added to feed and regulate the use of medicines in the farming sector.
Antibiotics are not everything, and their rational use makes them truly a powerful weapon for human health. Let us start with ourselves, with every decision to take a medical treatment and every drug, by fighting against the misuse of antibiotics and contributing to the preservation of human health and the balance of the ecological environment. Only then can we maintain our advantage in the long struggle against bacteria and ensure that antibiotics remain effective in the service of human health in the future.
