An antibiotic is a drug that kills or slows the growth of bacteria. Antibiotics are one class of antimicrobials, a larger group which also includes anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-parasitic drugs. Antibiotics are chemicals produced by or derived from microorganisms (i.e. bugs or germs such as bacteria and fungi). The first antibiotic was discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928 in a significant breakthrough for medical science.

Antibiotics are among the most frequently prescribed medications in modern medicine.
Some antibiotics are ‘bactericidal’, meaning that they work by killing bacteria. Other antibiotics are ‘bacteriostatic’, meaning that they work by stopping bacteria multiplying.

Each different type of antibiotic affects different bacteria in different ways. For example, an antibiotic might inhibit a bacterium’s ability to turn glucose into energy, or its ability to construct its cell wall. When this happens, the bacterium dies instead of reproducing.

Some antibiotics can be used to treat a wide range of infections and are known as ‘broad-spectrum’ antibiotics. Others are only effective against a few types of bacteria and are called ‘narrow-spectrum’ antibiotics.

Side effects of antibiotics

Antibiotics can literally save lives and are effective in treating illnesses caused by bacterial infections. However, like all drugs, they have the potential to cause unwanted side effects. Many of these side effects are not dangerous, although they can make life miserable while the drug is being taken.

In general, antibiotics rarely cause serious side effects. The most common side effects from antibiotics are diarrhea, nausea, vomiting. Fungal infections of the mouth, digestive tract and vagina can also occur with antibiotics because they destroy the protective ‘good’ bacteria in the body (which help prevent overgrowth of any one organism), as well as the ‘bad’ ones, responsible for the infection being treated.

Some people are allergic to antibiotics, particularly penicillins. Allergic reactions cause swelling of the face, itching and a skin rash and, in severe cases, breathing difficulties. Allergic reactions require prompt treatment. Read the rest of this entry »