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| Index of Diseases and Conditions: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
Antibiotics are powerful medicines that fight bacterial infections. Used properly, antibiotics can save lives. They either kill bacteria or keep them from reproducing. Your body's natural defenses can usually take it from there.
Antibiotics do not fight infections caused by viruses, such as
If a virus is making you sick, taking antibiotics may do more harm than good. Each time you take antibiotics, you increase the chances that bacteria in your body will be able to resist them. Later, you could get or spread an infection that those antibiotics cannot cure.
When you take antibiotics, follow the directions carefully. It is important to finish your medicine even if you feel better. Do not save antibiotics for later or use someone else's prescription.
An '''antibiotic''' is a drug that kills or slows the growth of bacterium. Antibiotics are one class of "antimicrobials", a larger group which also includes anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-parasitic drugs. They are relatively harmless to the host, and therefore can be used to healthcare treatment infections. The term originally described only those formulations derived from living organisms, but is now applied also to Chemical synthesis antimicrobials, such as the sulfonamides. Antibiotics are small molecules with a molecular weight less than 2000 and they are not enzymes. Unlike previous treatments for infections, which included poisons such as strychnine, antibiotics were labelled "magic bullets": drugs which targeted disease without harming the host. Antibiotics are not effective in viral, fungal and other nonbacterial infections, and individual antibiotics vary widely in their effectiveness on various types of bacteria. Some specific antibiotics (called "narrow-spectrum antibiotics") target either gram-negative or gram-positive bacteria, and others are more ''wide-spectrum'' antibiotics. The effectiveness of individual antibiotics varies with the location of the infection and the ability of the antibiotic to reach this site. Oral antibiotics are the simplest approach when effective, with intravenous antibiotics reserved for more serious cases. Antibiotics may sometimes be administered topically, as with eyedrops or ointments.
The Telegraph: Alice Martineau - 'Pop singer dies after valiant battle with cystic fibrosis'. Includes details of her daily routine of oxygen, chest physiotherapy, intravenous antibiotics and taking 40 pills a day.
The Antibiotic Alternative - Cindy L. A. Jones' guide to fighting infection and maintaining a healthy immune system using herbs.
SageScript - Herbal bookstore; titles include The Antibiotic Alternative, Herbs and Health, and The Herbal Drugstore.
Omaha Vaccine - Selling vacines, dewormers, supplements, antibiotics and pharmaceuticals, and a wide range of daily care products for dogs, cats, birds, and small animals. Catalog offers products for equine and livestock.
Laid in Montana - Offering a full line of all natural health and beauty or pet and livestock products made from emu which are raised on locally grown feed with no antibiotics, medicine or hormones added.
Pure Liquid Gold - Grapefruit seed extract for natural antibiotic, antiseptic, and disinfectant, includes benefits, uses, and technical research.
Labo Solidago - A health plan to prevent and treat illnesses in dairy cows and calves with homeopathy, without antibiotics or lost milk.
Dermik BenzaClin - A prescription topical acne gel combining the antibiotic clindamycin 1% and benzoyl peroxide 5%. Includes contraindications and information about possible unwanted side effects.
Laura's Lean Beef - Sells lean, all-natural beef, raised without growth hormones or antibiotics.
Edgar Farms - Offers fat-free beef from cattle raised without antibiotics or artificial hormones.