In day-to-day actions to safeguard health, anti-bacterial products go into thousands of homes and become powerful helpers against bacteria. At the same time, a confusing error is also being spread: the low frequency of use of anti-bacterial products does not trigger bacterial resistance. Many are convinced of this, yet the facts are not that simple.
Bacteria resistance is the result of the evolution of bacteria in the long struggle against antibacterial substances. When bacteria continue to be exposed to antibacterial ingredients, even at low concentrations, they do their best to “self-help”. The process involves changes at the genetic level, such as mutations of genes that change the receptor structure of bacterial cellular membranes, make antibacterial agents difficult to bind to, or lead to the creation of special enzymes capable of disaggregating antibacterial components.
In the case of common antibacterial hand-washing fluids, even occasionally, each time used, the bacteria carried on hand face the “challenge” of the antibacterial ingredient. Assuming one or two antibacterial hand-washing fluids with trichlorfon in one or two times a week, it appears to be less frequent, but it is already a survival pressure for tenacious bacteria. It is likely that those bacteria that have been fortunate to survive have quietly undergone genetic mutation and acquired initial resistance. Over time, these drug-resistant bacteria may also transmit the drug-resistant genes to other bacteria in daily daily contact, such as handshakes and touching of public goods, thus expanding the range of drug-resistant bacteria.
There are also risks in the context of home cleaning. For example, in the case of anti-bacterial cleaning, some families may use it several times a month, which is not thought to promote bacterial resistance. The kitchen environment, however, is complicated, with food residues and oil pollution, providing fertile ground for bacterial breeding. Each time antibacterial cleaning is used, the remaining bacteria come into contact with the antibacterial ingredient and have the opportunity to initiate an “evolving” of resistance. Moreover, kitchen rags, water tanks, etc. are often damp, and contribute to the long-term survival and reproduction of drug-resistant bacteria, which, even when antibacterial products are used less frequently, are able to increase their ranks and threaten the health of their families at any time.
With regard to personal care items, such as anti-bacterial sanitary towels used by women during their physiology, it is not safe to use them only occasionally during menstruation. There is a unique micro-ecological balance in women ‘ s private areas, with beneficial and harmful strains. While the components in antibacterial wet towels can destroy some of the harmful strains, this balance may be broken, so that some bacteria can develop resistance to the antibacterial environment. Once drug-resistant bacteria flourish, they are not only prone to intimacy, but also make follow-up treatment difficult.
The harm caused by this misdeed cannot be minimized. On the one hand, the continued use of antibacterial products by individuals as a result of miscalculation increases the bacterial resistance process unwittingly, and in the event of subsequent infections of the antibacterial strain, the disease tends to deteriorate and the cost of treatment increases significantly. Common antibiotics are not effective and have to use higher-level, expensive drugs with potentially greater side effects. On the other hand, at the social level, such misconceptions among a large number of people can make bacterial resistance widespread among the population, weaken society as a whole in its ability to cope with bacterial infections and put a great strain on public health.
To be able to break this gap, consumers first need to develop the right perception that antibacterial products are not less useful and riskless. Common products, such as handwashing with regular soap, cleaning of furniture, etc., are given preference for daily cleaning, and there is no need to make easy use of antibacterial products; in the case of antibacterial products, strict compliance with instructions is required to avoid excessive or disproportionate use. At the same time, health-care institutions and general practitioners should increase their awareness of the importance of the rational use of anti-bacterial products in order to protect themselves and society as a whole.
