Doctors have warned of the dangers of indiscriminate use of antibiotics, whether by taking them without a prescription, or by not taking the full prescribed dose.
They confirmed to “Emirates Al-Youm” that the most prominent harm that may result from this behavior is that the bacteria gain immunity to antibiotics, which prevents the patient’s body from responding to treatment, or delays recovery from the disease.
Doctors narrated that they received sick cases of people who used antibiotics without a prescription to treat colds, high temperatures, and headaches, without realizing that there was a difference between a viral infection and a bacterial infection.
In detail, Dr. Mansour Anwar Habib, a consultant in family medicine and occupational health, warned against excessive consumption of antibiotics without medical advice, regardless of the type of disease, pointing out their unhealthy effect in the long term.
He confirmed receiving patients whose bodies do not respond to antibiotics because they did not complete the doses prescribed to them previously, stressing that “incorrect handling of medications makes treatment difficult, and prompts doctors to choose stronger medications in terms of effect.”
Habib explained, “Antibiotics are among the best medical discoveries, as they have helped many people be treated for bacterial diseases. However, taking it randomly may cause harm to the patient rather than benefit.”
He pointed out that “antibiotics are usually given in the form of a course or course, during specific days. If the patient does not take the full dose, he exposes himself to several risks, as a result of some of the bacteria causing the disease remaining alive and developing immunity to the antibiotic in the future.”
He stated that “many of the disease symptoms that affect humans may result from a viral infection, and their treatment does not require obtaining an antibiotic. Indeed, taking antibiotics in this case will expose the patient to killing beneficial bacteria inside his body,” stressing the necessity of not taking them at all without an approved medical prescription, based on careful laboratory tests.
Habib continued, “The mechanism of action of antibiotics is based on searching for bacteria to prevent them from multiplying, or freezing their movement, to limit their effect on the human body, and to help the patient recover from the disease they caused him,” pointing out that there is a different mechanism for dealing with viruses.
In turn, Dr. Badriya Al Harami, Public Health Consultant and Vice President of the Emirates Public Health Association, warned against stopping taking the dose of antibiotics before the expiry of the appointment specified by the doctor, as a result of the improvement of the health condition, due to the risks that this entails… such as the return of the disease symptoms in a stronger manner. Or give the bacteria the opportunity to develop immunity to the antibiotic, and make them resist it in the future.
She confirmed that there are many wrong practices related to dealing with medications, noting that many people rush to take antibiotics as soon as they feel the symptoms of the disease without knowing its nature, that is, even if it is related to contracting a cold or flu, or just feeling pain, noting that there is a difference. Between viral diseases and bacterial diseases.
She stressed the need to limit the use of antibiotics to a doctor’s prescription, because he is best able to identify the disease and treat it appropriately.
Dr. Hossam Al-Tatri, consultant pediatrician, infectious diseases and immunology at the Heart Medical Center in Al Ain, called on parents not to accept giving their children any antibiotics, except after conducting the necessary medical examinations.
He pointed out that many people take antibiotics to treat viral diseases, such as the common cold, while others use them when the temperature rises, thinking that they work as an antidote, in addition to some using them to treat simple symptoms such as diarrhea in children.
It is worth noting that the Ministry of Health and Community Protection recently revealed that it is implementing a plan to confront the crisis of risks resulting from the misuse of antibiotics through basic pillars, which are implementing awareness and educational programs for medical staff and community members, and working to prevent and control infection using means that prevent its spread in hospitals. And society as a whole, working to prepare a census and inventory of the types of bacteria resistant to antibiotics, and implementing awareness programs for the optimal use of antimicrobials that instruct patients on how to use them, in terms of the appropriate dose and time.
In addition to enhancing scientific research to discover different types of bacteria, especially those that have gained immunity to antibiotics, to work to confront them with different therapeutic methods.
Dr. Badriya Al-Harami:
“Stop taking the antibiotic before the scheduled time facilitates the return of symptoms more strongly.”
Dr. Mansour Habib:
“Incorrect handling of the antibiotic makes treating the patient more difficult and prompts the doctor to choose stronger medications.”
Dr. Hossam Al-Tatri:
“Many people take antibiotics to treat viral diseases.”
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