Antibiotics exist in the world for a little less than a century, but it is already difficult to imagine modern medicine without these drugs. And if by chance it hadn’t been discovered that the green mold on the bun produces an antibacterial substance that was later called penicillin, perhaps the life of a modern person would be less secure.
What is an antibiotic?
An antibiotic is a substance that has the ability to inhibit the activity and growth of bacteria without harming the body. An exception is only the type of cytostatic antibiotics that destroy the tissues of the body, but this is their direct purpose and the idea of the scientist-creator.
Diseases, which we arbitrarily call colds, are divided into viral and bacterial, depending on who became responsible for the onset of symptoms. To suppress viruses, special antiviral drugs are used, but diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria are treated with antibiotics.
Wide and narrow range
Antibiotics can be divided into two categories: a wide and narrow spectrum of action. The breadth of antibiotic action means how many different bacteria a tablet can destroy.
Doctors use narrow-spectrum antibiotics only when they know the causative agent of the disease. Of course, such an appointment is more accurate, but doctors do not always have time to determine the causative agent of the disease, since blood culture can take up to several days, and the patient's condition may worsen.
In this case, broad-spectrum antibiotics are prescribed that destroy all potentially dangerous microorganisms, however, beneficial microbes also come under attack, resulting in dysbiosis.
Generations of antibiotics
Antibiotics are constantly being improved, so there are several generations of antibiotics, and each generation is more perfect than the other, has a more powerful effect, a minimal number of side effects and contraindications, and good tolerance.
The first two generations of antibiotics are no longer used in treatment, and drugs of the 3rd and 4th generation are actively used in therapy. For the continuous improvement of antibiotic compositions, it is important that human organisms become resistant to existing antibiotics, that is, the drug ceases to fulfill its function.
That is why it is very important not to self-medicate, prescribing antibiotics for yourself arbitrarily, when there is no need for this, for example, with a viral infection. When a situation arises in which the antibiotic is really necessary, it may no longer work.
New Generation Antibiotics
But today there are already antibiotics of a wide spectrum of action of the new generation, the fifth. It has a wider spectrum of effects, so many bacteria that were resistant to previous generations of antibiotics will be easily destroyed by new drugs;
- "Ziftera";
- Zinforo;
- Ceftaroline;
- Ceftobiprol.
Operating principle
Once it became clear what an antibiotic is and what types of antibiotics exist, you can find out how antibiotics work.
After a person takes an antibiotic, drinking a pill or giving an injection, the active ingredients of the drug enter the bloodstream and, together with the blood, enter the site of inflammation. Moreover, they are absolutely safe for the human body, their toxicity applies only to bacteria. There are two methods of antibiotic action:
- destroy their cellular structure in order to stop their growth and reproduction in the body;
- directly destroy the bacteria themselves.
How exactly an antibiotic behaves in a particular case depends on many factors, including the individual characteristics of the body and dosage.
Action speed
Having information on how antibiotics work, it is important to know the speed of their action. That is, how long after the first dose of the drug a person needs to wait for a therapeutic effect.
The question of when an antibiotic begins to act depends on the disease itself, and on its severity, and on human immunity. But its direct effect on bacteria, which it can withstand, begins immediately after it enters the site of the bacterial focus through blood.
It does not matter if the “old” drug is used, that is, an antibiotic of the 3rd or 4th generation, or broad-spectrum antibiotics of the new generation. If the drug is selected correctly, a person will feel relief not later than three days after the start of the dose. In this case, the course of the antibiotic continues completely, in accordance with the instructions of the doctor and the instructions in the instructions for use.
But if after three days the patient’s condition did not improve, then the drug was prescribed incorrectly and continue to continuously give antibiotics at high temperature, ignoring the fact of the absence of positive changes, it is not only useless, but also dangerous. That is why treatment should always be under the supervision of a physician.
If by the time the antibiotic begins to act, the result of the therapy is not visible, then the patient may have not a bacterial, but a viral or parasitic infection and, while continuing to take the antibiotic, the patient depresses his immune system and does not allow the body to cope with the real, and not by mistake diagnosed pathology.
The speed of action in various diseases
If under the influence of an antibiotic is meant a significant improvement in the well-being of the patient, it is important to understand what kind of disease is involved.
To the question when antibiotics for angina begin to act, doctors give an answer: at the end of the second day of admission. If by this time a person does not feel better, he continues to have a high fever, sore throat and signs of general intoxication, which means that the patient may have resistance to this type of antibiotic. Especially if he already drank them earlier, throwing the course immediately after the first signs of improvement. In this case, it is recommended to wait one more day, and then decide on the drug change.
Speaking of angina, it is important to understand that the factor that says when an antibiotic begins to act is primarily normalization of temperature. The pain during swallowing may persist more, since it takes more time for the edema to come off the mucosa. In addition, traumatic pain can be added to the pain in the throat from the disease if the patient did not follow a special diet that spares the throat mucosa.
And when asked when antibiotics are effective for bronchitis, doctors give a different answer: the patient should feel relief 12-15 hours after taking the drug. Of course, a lot depends on the severity of bronchitis and a specific drug, but tentatively it is possible to imagine a period of time after which we can talk about the wrong choice of the drug due to its inefficiency.
The effect of different drugs
Is there any reason to find out whether an antibiotic, when a specific drug or any drug in this group affects the effect, occurs at approximately the same time interval? To do this, just study the instructions for use with the drugs.
For example, information about when the third-generation Suprax antibiotic begins to act varies from 4 to 12 hours. That is, the patient instantly feels a relief if the drug is taken according to indications.
The answer to the question of when the Flemoxin Solutab antibiotic begins to act depends on how it is used. If you take pills for diseases indicated in the list of indications, improvement in well-being occurs on the second or third day.
But if you use them locally, dissolving like lozenges from a sore throat, then the effect will be almost instantaneous. True, the course of administration will have to be completed completely, even if the sore throat completely disappears on the first day.
What slows down the effect of antibiotics?
In addition to the fact that any drugs show weaker treatment results if you do not follow the doctor’s recommendations or the instructions for use, there are factors that can extend the waiting time for antibiotic exposure.
This is primarily about alcohol. Ethyl alcohol at best neutralizes the effect of the antibiotic, and at worst it can cause serious side effects (nausea, vomiting, respiratory failure), which cannot positively affect the speed of recovery.
In addition to alcohol, there is a whole list of innocent, at first glance, drinks with which you can not drink antibiotics. It includes:
- tea;
- coffee;
- juices;
- carbonated drinks;
- milk;
- kefir and other dairy products.
All these drinks neutralize the effect of the drug, make the treatment useless. Therefore, in the event that by the time the antibiotic begins to act, the physical condition does not improve, you need to make sure once again that the tablet was washed down with clean water and nothing else.
Thus, antibiotics are drugs that make our life not only better and easier, but in some cases longer. Knowing all the nuances of using these drugs, you can quickly improve your health and not face any side effects in the form of drug resistance or inefficiency.