Why You Should Be Careful Before Popping Those Pills

Has your child ever had a sore throat, cough or flu and you wanted them to get an antibiotic? Or if you got a bad rush somewhere on your body would you want an antibiotic fast, without thinking twice about it? Most people would answer yes to both these questions. This is because, since we ourselves where tots, when anything went wrong in our bodies, antibiotics were one of the things that you had to be on and finish the course even if you got better before the pills themselves got finished (as is the norm with antibiotics). So in a way, antibiotics have become the "quick fix" for a number of things, even though for most of the issues, you could wait for your body to try and fight the infection off. So what are antibiotics? Antibiotics, in layman's terms, are substances that are able to inhibit or kill other microoganisms. In most cases, these other microorganisms may pose a threat to one's health. Antibiotics are, in other words, a reinforcement for your immune system for the times when it's slow to respond to bacteria or has been weakened by a previous illness. When this happens, the antibiotics will help to stop the spread of bacteria. One of the ways in which it does this is by blocking a specific protein that bacteria need for their survival. A survey showed that antibiotics are the second most prescribed drugs in the world after painkillers, not surprising! However, the problem with this is that a decade or so from now, antibiotics may become redundant. There has since developed what are known as superbugs. These are bugs that have become resistant to antibiotics. If this trend continues, experts say we may return to a time when treating common infections will be difficult! The main cause of concern for health experts is not the resistance to drugs, that's nothing new. The cause of concern is the way in which this resistance to drugs in increasing, creating superbugs in the process. The number one cause of this is over exposure to antibiotics. There is a place for antibiotics- meningitis, pneumonia and the like. In these instances, antibiotics can be life savers. However viral infections such as colds, flu, etc should not be given the "quick fix". Give time to allow your immune system to fight against the infection, heal naturally and build strong antibodies in the process. There are also foods that help fight pain as well as help to fight infections. For instance, when you or your child has flu, drink lots of water and foods rich in vitamin C such as oranges and strawberries. In fact, strawberry nutrition facts have shown that 8 strawberries contain more Vitamin C than an orange. Amazing huh? Celery and garlic have also been known to lower high blood pressure. So before you pop those pills, look for natural ways to deal with the situation first and let your body try and fizght the infection off naturally.