I recently read a news article that said that doctors in the United Kingdom have been told to stop prescribing antibiotics for colds.
Call me crazy, but I thought doctors knew not to prescribe antibiotics for colds. Colds are caused by viruses, not bacteria, meaning they can’t be cured with antibiotics. Thus the old saying, “There’s no cure for the common cold.”
I know some doctors prescribe antibiotics to prevent secondary infections. However, I’m sure many doctors prescribe antibiotics at the request of patients. These days, it seems doctors and patients alike are too quick too reach for drugs to cure any ailment.
When will people realize that sometimes we simply have to toughen up and suffer through an illness in order to get better?
May 27th, 2009 at 9:10 am
I too have heard that antibiotics are being overutilized in today’s health world. I recall that my sister used to give me the “evil eye” every time I would pull out my antibacterial gel out of my purse. It makes sense that the more these antibiotics are used, the stronger the germs and infections grow, so I agree with the author in that we need to just toughen up!
June 16th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
There are some cases when we need to toughen up, but sometimes you need help! I can see why people will reach for the meds when things get scary, because sometimes my allergies can produce some serious side effects. This article explains what happens in the body during anaphylaxis in easy-to-understand terms. http://www.diagnosingallergies.com/articles/anaphylaxis/index.php