Antibiotics & The RELENTLESS Resistance

wannabemedstudent2
Dec 18, 2020
4 min read

Introduction:

WELCOME TO OUR SECOND ARTICLE. We feel like talking about a topic that is extremely relevant to the current situation. So our enemy here is called Antibiotic resistance. This happens when germs, like bacteria and fungi, develop the ability to nullify the drugs designed to kill them. Our small brains may not understand the dangers of this, even if it’s rising to dangerously high levels in all parts of the world. The problem with antibiotic resistance is that it’s threatening our ability to treat common infectious diseases.

*Imagine DunDunDun Sounds*

Before getting to our next segment, you might need to understand what exactly is an antibiotic and why is it such an amazing invention. You know when you have an infection or illness of some sort and you just want to lie in bed all day? Well too bad, take your PRESCRIBED (From a doctor) antibiotic as it can slow the growth and kill many types of infections and can also prevent the occurrence of further pesky infections. The good thing about these antibiotics is that they act fast and are easy to take making them the superheroes of your body. So we now need to understand how this is a REAL THREAT and if it can be used for good…

Pros:

So Jana, unfortunately, there are not many pros to antibiotic resistance which is why it is such a pain to write this tiny paragraph but here we go. A possible advantage which should be taken with a BARREL of salt might be how it may allow research scientists understand the bacteria more clearly, as they can maybe read its developmental pattern and what exactly is causing it to grow resistant. Alternatively, a really cool application of antibiotic resistance is in probiotics in the prevention of disorders in the intestine. The main gist is, probiotics (something that helps useful microorganisms grow) can be intentionally turned resistant to many helpful drugs to survive in the presence of antibiotics applied at the same time. This is confusing, not gonna lie, but it is what it is.

I'm honestly just gonna stop here because I can no longer glorify our enemy. Jana, I just made your job easier with the disappointing number of advantages to this topic.

Cons:

Great effort there Yusuf! It is hard to pinpoint any advantages to antibiotic resistance and as quoted by the World Health Organization “Antibiotic resistance is one of the BIGGEST threats to global health, food security, and development today”. I do recommend you checking out the article written by WHO, which really simplifies the disadvantages and ways different industries can contribute to prevent antibiotic resistance; you can find the link in the resources. So let’s get started!

It is very important to note that there are so many infections, that were once treated by antibiotics, are becoming harder to treat due to antibiotic resistance. The efficiency of antibiotics is decreasing over time and treatable illnesses are expected to become incurable soon! Not to scare you or anything but infections include Pneumonia, tuberculosis, sal…. Should probably stop there. You might be asking yourself right now, is this lady alright. Well no I am not! because imagine how badly this is going to impact the middle class and especially the lower class. Antibiotic resistance leads to unfortunate longer hospital stays. Can you guess what that means? That means higher medical bills and because not everyone can afford to stay long at a hospital, they might leave the hospital in a very bad state which increases the risk of death. See what WHO is talking about now?

Additionally, infections which are caused by resistant bacteria, may eventually become resistant to more than one antibiotic. This limits the number of treatments that a doctor can offer and that a patient can have access to, especially, as I previously mentioned, patients which have a very limited income. With only a few new antibiotics being developed, the situation isn’t getting better.

You might want to read the next part because Fares will now give us his personal opinion about all of this. The floor is yours!

Opinion:

Hey there!! So in this little paragraph, I’ll be explaining to you my personal opinion on antibiotic resistance (from the perspective of a wannabe doctor obviously!)… So before anything, let me first look at the meaning behind antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance basically happens when germs like bacteria and fungi develop the ability to defeat the drugs designed to kill them. Which means that these germs are actually not killed and continue to grow. You know what people say, too much of anything is bad! The infections that happen to us because of antibiotic-resistant germs are very hard, and sometimes impossible, to treat. From my perspective, I think that antibiotic-resistance is obviously a bad thing. But, there are actually many ways that drug-resistant infections can be prevented… Like what?? Immunization, safe food preparation, hand washing, and using antibiotics using the directions of a professional doctor and only when necessary. Remember, the more you prevent infections the more you prevent the spread of resistant bacteria. Stay safe everyone!

Conclusion:

Thank you Fares for your positivity. Maybe I was too pessimistic!

Some people may try to take more powerful medications, however, this won’t really help in the long term. This may increase the number of possible side effects which can have a permanent impact on the patient. In order for us, as individuals, to really fight this upcoming disaster, we need to think about ways to maintain the effectiveness of the antibiotics that we have. Think about it and add it in the comments down below :) For now though, as Fares mentioned, please use antibiotics responsibly and always try to prevent and control your risk of getting infections.

Stay safe and hope you had a nice read!!