Antibiotic resistance and the injury all of our immune systems have sustained due to an over-prescription, over-use or misuse of antibiotics is well-documented and quickly becoming a global health crisis

How an Over-Prescription of Antibiotics Affects Your Immune System

Antibiotic resistance and the injury all of our immune systems have sustained due to an over-prescription, over-use or misuse of antibiotics is well-documented and quickly becoming a global health crisis.

Misuse and overuse of antibiotic prescriptions can lead to antibiotic resistance. That is why many hospitals require doctor prescription for antibiotics.

How An Over-Prescription Of Antibiotics Affects Your Immune System

Overview

The ground-breaking discovery of the first antibiotic penicillin changed the fate of medical science forever. The diseases people were losing their lives over were now only a minor setback. Back then, however, we could not have imagined that our very own invention could turn on us.&nbsp; 
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Effect of Antibiotics

There are many kinds of microbes (bacteria, fungi, viruses etc.) that attack the human body and can be eradicated by using antimicrobial agents. Antibiotics are antimicrobial agents prescribed for bacterial infections, the most common ones being Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs), strep throat, <a href="https://merisehat.pk/disease/pneumonia">pneumonia</a>, tuberculosis, cholera etc.

Antibiotics can be naturally occurring (made by other microorganisms) such as penicilin or synthetic such as sulfonamides. Much of the progress medical science has made, surgeries for instance, can be traced back to our ability to control infections and their deleterious impact. Infections went from being the top three causes of mortality back in the 1900s to being something we now take for granted.&nbsp; 
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Many doctors, especially in the third-world countries, don&rsquo;t think twice before writing you a quick prescription of metronidazole, a common antibiotic given for many ordinary infections, mostly for an ailment as little as an upset stomach.&nbsp;

Some stats report that around 47 million doctors worldwide prescribe antibiotics for absolutely no reason.&nbsp;

On the other hand, these maladies are so common and the drugs so easily available and effective that some people don&rsquo;t even bother going to the doctor for an opinion and will end up taking the antibiotic prescribed by the internet at home. This casual consumption of antibiotics has led to the development of antibiotic resistance.&nbsp;

The use of antibiotics doesn&rsquo;t extend to just medical illnesses, but they are also used in agriculture and livestock. 
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This is when the bacteria evolve to resist the impact of antibiotics. Once that happens, patients then need stronger antibiotics and eventually even those stop working.&nbsp;

There are several reasons behind this, some of which are:&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>The over-prescription of antibiotics. This includes both misuse and overuse of the drugs.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Patients not completing their antibiotic course as soon as get some see relief in their symptoms.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Excessive usage in livestock and farming.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Lack of infection control in hospitals.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Poor hygiene and sanitation efforts.</li>
</ul>

No wonder then that antibiotic resistance has been called &ldquo;the greatest public health challenge of our time&rdquo; by several healthcare regulatory bodies such as WHO and the CDC.&nbsp; 
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A study published in the Lancet way back in 2013 claimed that we were already, &ldquo;at the dawn of a post-antibiotic era&rdquo;. This is a threat to food security as well. We are at a point where common diseases such as tuberculosis and salmonella etc. are harder to treat than before. This has also added burden to the healthcare system given that we now have longer hospital stays, higher costs of treatment and increased mortality.&nbsp; 
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Think of our immune system as the security guards of our body. It not only destroys any foreign body or pathogen that might harm us but also memorises these invaders and will recognise and destroy them if they detect them. The function of antibiotics is to provide support to our immune system.&nbsp;

Antibiotics enter the body and coordinate with our immune system in order to control infections. What ends up happening many times, however, is that they will indiscriminately kill any bacteria they see since they can&rsquo;t distinguish between healthy and harmful bacteria. This way even helpful microbes in our body are eliminated that actually can help us fight some of the more harmful infections such as fungal infections.&nbsp; 
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These antibiotics also destroy the healthy gut microbes that help in running the machinery of our digestion smoothly. Once lost, our digestive system suffers immensely, our metabolism is ruined and even our mental health eventually suffers. There are also immune cells present in our gut that can&rsquo;t function normally anymore. This effect on our gut microbiome due to antibiotic consumption can also be irreversible.&nbsp;

Studies conducted in mice have shown that antibiotics were able to completely alter the natural biochemistry of their cells. Instead of helping the cells kill these bacteria, they were making the cells protect them.&nbsp; 
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One study found that the immune cells of these mice suffered at the hands of the antibiotics to an extent where they couldn&rsquo;t perform their normal function of killing the pathogens &mdash; which can be anything from bacteria to virus or fungi and protozoans.&nbsp;

This goes on to show that antibiotic drugs have the ability to adjust immune responses by directly acting on the cells of our immune system and overhauling the metabolic microenvironment of our body. In the absence of an appropriate protective response, all kinds of invaders can wreak havoc on the body, even the ones that would be least harmful under normal conditions.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
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Bottom Line

The impact of the over-prescription of antibiotics is all kinds of new, more powerful diseases become an insurmountable issue for mankind to resolve. We have all been exposed to overuse of antibiotics in some way shape or form.

If you do end up with symptoms where the cause could be viral or bacterial and you aren&rsquo;t sure about it, schedule an appointment with your doctor and go through the necessary tests to confirm the cause. If and when prescribed antibiotics, make sure you complete the full course. Don&rsquo;t stop midway just because your symptoms have been alleviated. Maintaining better hygiene, vaccinating when needed and not demanding that your doctor prescribe you an antibiotic are some other measures you can take to protect your immune system.&nbsp;

Add probiotics to your food. These are foods such as curd, cheese, kombucha, cocoa, bananas, lentils, nuts, whole grains, beans, broccoli, peas, and berries are all great options to help restore gut bacteria.&nbsp;

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