Antibiotics are a fairly serious group of drugs. Without the appointment of a qualified doctor, it is strictly forbidden to take them. However, if used correctly, they are very effective. For example, if the temperature lasts a long time, antibiotics can help. But there are times when this does not happen. In this review, we will examine in detail whether antibiotics bring down the temperature. How to choose the right course of treatment and much more.
Why does the temperature hold?
So what do you need to know about this? Many people have a completely logical question: why, despite taking antibacterial drugs, the condition does not improve? And is it worth it to bring down the temperature when taking antibiotics? This situation may be due to the influence of the following factors:
- Unreasonable use of drugs. Antibacterial therapy is ineffective in fungal and viral diseases.
- The lack of sensitivity of bacteria to the active substances of the drug. If you do not conduct an appropriate examination, it may turn out that the type of pathogenic microorganism in question simply does not respond to the antibiotic.
- Inappropriate treatment regimen. The doctor could incorrectly choose the dosage of the drug, as a result, the activity of bacteria does not decrease and continues to have a negative effect on the human body.
- Side effects: sometimes antibacterial drugs themselves cause an increase in temperature.
- Infection development: if a person’s condition first improved, and after some time worsened again, then, most likely, an additional infection joined the primary disease.
Should an antibiotic bring down the temperature? The antibacterial drugs themselves are not designed to relieve heat. The use of such drugs affects only the pathogens of infection. In this case, the active substances do not affect the centers of thermoregulation. Therefore, if you need a quick effect, it is better to use antipyretic drugs.
Application features
Many people are interested in how long after the start of antibiotic therapy the temperature begins to decrease. Improvements in the condition are usually observed after 3-4 days. Do not expect an instant effect from the use of antibiotics. It should also be borne in mind that the use of these funds should only be in case of emergency. Otherwise, there may be a risk of suppression of the immune system. In addition, antibiotics have a negative effect on the hematopoietic process, digestive organs and liver.
These drugs can only be used if the disease is bacterial in nature. Do I need to bring down the temperature when taking antibiotics? If the fever lasts more than 3-4 days after the start of therapy, this may indicate that antibiotic therapy does not give results.
Heat increase
Sometimes, after taking antibiotics, the body temperature becomes higher. A similar reaction may result from an allergy to the use of the drug. A particular danger in this case is a group of penicillins. As a rule, the reaction occurs with repeated use of drugs. If the fever is caused by an allergy, it will completely disappear when the medicine is canceled. The temperature indicator for allergies can rise to 39-40 degrees. Side effects can also include tachycardia.
How to use?
Is it necessary to give an antibiotic at temperature? If a bacterial infection has become the cause of the heat, then the medication will help cure its cause. With the proper use of antibacterial drugs, an increase in temperature to 37 degrees can be observed. This is due to the mass death of harmful microorganisms. Typically, this process is accompanied by the entry into the blood of a large amount of toxins. This temperature when taking antibiotics is completely normal and does not require special therapy.
How to relieve fever?
Is it possible to bring down the temperature when taking antibiotics? This should be decided only by the doctor. Before reaching the right decision, the specialist must establish the true cause of the heat. If she has an allergic reaction, then she should cancel the antibiotic and prescribe another one. An additional measure may be taking antihistamines.
If the treatment was chosen correctly, but the temperature persists, the doctor may recommend increasing the amount of fluid consumed. This will help speed up the process of removing toxins from the body and normalize the condition.
How does the medication work?
Many young parents do not know the answer to the question of whether the antibiotic knocks down the temperature of the child. Contrary to popular belief, antibacterial drugs do not reduce fever. Their action is aimed at combating the inflammatory process caused by bacteria. When taking antibiotics, the fever can subside both after a few hours, and after a few days. On average, it goes through 1-3 days.
At high temperatures, the baby should be given an antipyretic. Best of all, ibuprofen and paracetamol-based products help. Other drugs are contraindicated in children. For example, aspirin, which helps adults well, can cause severe reactions in babies.
Release form
What you need to know about this? Now that we have figured out whether the antibiotic lowers the temperature, we can talk about the form of release of these drugs. For babies, the following options are usually used:
- soluble tablets: they can be given to a child with tea or milk;
- powders for the preparation of a suspension: a medicine in this form is given to the child from a spoon, washed down with a small amount of water;
- syrups and granules.
There are also external forms of antibiotic use: sprays, drops and ointments.
Bacteria and viruses
Do antibiotics bring down the temperature? These drugs will be effective only in case of bacterial infection. With diseases of a viral nature, they are useless, on the contrary, they can only undermine the immune system. It should be borne in mind that in 80% of cases of illness in children cause viruses. A bacterial infection appears as a complication. It usually looks like this: the baby gets sick, a few days later, after the temperature has subsided, the disease seems to be returning. However, there are some differences. If with a viral infection, the discharge from the nose usually has a whitish or transparent color, then with a bacterial infection they are already thicker and yellow-green.
For the treatment of diseases of a viral nature, it is necessary to use antiviral agents that strengthen the immune system. If the cause of ill health is the activity of harmful bacteria, then antibiotics should be used for treatment. But this does not mean that with simple rhinitis and a sore throat, you need to resort to antibacterial therapy. Here you can cope with the help of such gentle means as rinsing with soda or herbal decoctions.
Expert Advice
Does the antibiotic lower the temperature? What is the opinion of specialists in this regard? Pediatricians confirm that after the appointment of antibiotics, the improvement in the condition is not observed immediately. There are even cases when deterioration occurs at a certain time. The main reason for this is the toxins that accumulate in the blood due to the death of bacteria. Therefore, if after taking the drugs there is an increase in temperature, this does not mean that the prescribed treatment is ineffective.
Medicines for a child can be given only as directed by a doctor. It is better not to engage in self-medication. Only a doctor can correctly select the dose of the drug and provide what the reaction of the body may be. Parents should be aware that there are two types of antibiotics - bactericidal and bacteriostatic. Bactericidal antibiotics are designed to destroy bacteria, and bacteriostatic preparations do not allow them to multiply. If the medicine was incorrectly selected, the doctor may prescribe a more effective drug. Pediatricians usually try to prescribe broad-spectrum antibiotics. Ideally, you generally need to take an analysis to determine the sensitivity of microbes to one or another type of antibacterial drugs. However, the results of sowing sometimes have to wait a few days. In serious diseases, delay can be fraught with the development of complications such as purulent otitis media, sinusitis or pneumonia.
What should parents know when prescribing a child's antibiotics? First, try to find out from your doctor why he suspects a bacterial infection. Ask for an appointment for tests to determine the cause of the disease and the resistance of the bacteria to various types of antibiotics.
Conclusion
In this review, we examined the answer to the question of whether antibiotics bring down the temperature. In the case of a serious bacterial infection, the mandatory part of complex therapy is the use of antibacterial drugs. 1-3 days after the start of treatment, improvements can be observed, including a decrease in body temperature. For urgent heat removal, it is better to use special antipyretic drugs based on ibuprofen and paracetamol.