Antibiotics have been around for a long time. We use them to prevent infection after major surgery, to get rid of bacterial infections, ear aches, colds, etc. They are the "go to" cure for whatever ails us it would seem, but there is a major problem with this. Antibiotics are not meant to do anything other than prevent bacterial infection. Most of the colds we have (and ear infections) are viral, and cannot be cured with antibiotics. While there are a growing number of doctors out there that are taking notice of this, and refusing to hand over that script for another antibiotic that won't actually cure you, many still are. So what? Why does it matter? Well, it does, and for many reasons.
The first problem with antibiotics being used for anything and everything is that they are a waste of money for you. You'd be better off hydrating yourself with tea and water and getting lots of rest while eating healthy and taking your vitamins. The other problem is that when you take antibiotics, you wipe out the flora in your stomach (the good bacteria that actually helps prevent you from getting sick), and make yourself more susceptible to another illness. Ever get sick with a cold, take antibiotics and finally feel better only to get sick again a week later? I have, and it's not fun - but that is exactly why. You are taking your body's own defense away for fighting off illness. That's also why women get yeast infections from taking antibiotics all the time. The amazing thing is that they've done studies, where one group of people were given an antibiotic and the other were given a placebo, and the recovery time from the common cold (or sinus infection) was the same amount of time. So why subject your body to medication it doesn't need (and actually makes you more susceptible to more illness)?
There is, however, another way that you get dosed with antibiotics even if you don't take them when you get sick. And, shockingly, that is from the very food you eat on your plate at every meal. How, you might ask? Well, consider that I've mentioned in earlier posts about the conditions the animals are kept in on factory farms, and how this typically breeds disease among the animals almost 100% of the time. In order to combat this, the companies raising these animals dose them with large amounts of antibiotics in their feed. They also use the antibiotics to fatten the animals up quicker (which in and of itself should make you not want to take them unless absolutely necessary). What that results in, is meat in your supermarket, restaurant, pizza, salad, fast food joint that is contaminated with drugs. You eat said meat, and the antibiotics in the food has the same effect on your stomach flora, leaving you vulnerable to illness.
The other way this makes you sick is that because these animals are dosed with antibiotics - more than 70% of the antibiotics sold and consumed in the U.S. are for animal feed - the bacteria that are flourishing in the factory farm environments are becoming resistant to the antibiotics they are using. This means that newer, stronger antibiotics have to be used, and then of course, the bacteria become resistant to them as well. This is a large problem that has many medical implications. If bacteria become resistant to antibiotics, what will we do for surgery? Hospitals rely heavily on them in order to prevent infection following major surgery, and if there is no guarantee that they will be effective anymore, this puts the patient in grave danger. There is some discussion out there as to whether or not the older antibiotics are becoming effective again, but no one seems sure. The best way to help combat this would be to a) avoid taking them unless your doctor is sure you have a bacterial infection and b) to stop eating meat contaminated with them.
To go one step further, support organizations and legislation against factory farming. They are out there, and they are doing more every day to help improve the living conditions of these animals and end the appalling conditions they are kept in. The more voices we add to this, the sooner something will be down about it. And that means you have to do your part. Vote with your dollar as well. There is so much to be said about where your meat comes from. Farm Sanctuary, located in Watkins Glen, NY and also in Orland, CA, does a great deal for animal advocacy. You can visit their website (http://farmsanctuary.org/index.html) for petitions and other information for how you can help.
Also, I know our first instinct any time one of our children is sick is to get them cured as quickly as possible. However, overuse of antibiotics in children has been shown to have bad side effects, such as increased sensitivity to foods that cause allergies, i.e. peanuts. I, for one, can attest to the fact that this is quite possibly true. I took antibiotics for every single ear infection I ever had as a child, and there were lots of them. And today, I am allergic to peanuts, sesame seeds, almonds, etc. It is not fun. And I know it's hard to hear your child say that they don't feel good, or they are in pain, but trust me when I say it's better for their bodies to fight it off, 99% of the time. You will be doing them many favors down the road.
In closing, please think twice before calling the doctor when you are pretty sure you have a common cold. Also, think twice before calling the doctor when your child has an ear infection as well. Most of the time these ailments are virus related, and taking antibiotics honestly has no real effect on how long you are sick, or how severe your symptoms are. You just have to ride it out. Antibiotic overuse only hurts you and your kids. Please see related links below for more information.
http://healthland.time.com/2010/08/16/the-end-of-antibiotics/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/aug/12/the-end-of-antibiotics-health-infections
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2010/09/dairy-farm-sells-cow-with-drug-residue-in-meat/
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/meat/safe/overview.html
http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/060210p32.shtml
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