The dangers of taking antibiotics for children

In life, when people are sick, such as cough, cold, redness and swelling, they always ask doctors to prescribe some anti-inflammatory drugs. What people call anti-inflammatory drugs here are actually antibiotics. Antibiotics are indeed effective in treating non-viral infections, but ordinary people regard them as a panacea and even use them to treat the common cold in children. Any medicine has its side effects, and the side effects of antibiotics are particularly harmful to children. So what are the dangers of children taking antibiotics?

Overview

Antibiotics were formerly called antimicrobials. They can not only kill bacteria, but also have good inhibitory and killing effects on pathogenic microorganisms such as molds, mycoplasmas, chlamydia, and spirochetes. Generally speaking, antibiotics are drugs used to treat various non-viral infections, but they are not a panacea. Many side effects have emerged in clinical use, and they should be used with caution in children in particular.

There are three main hazards of misusing antibiotics to children:

First, it causes drug resistance, which results in more and more antibiotics being used once a disease occurs, and even accelerates genetic mutation;

Secondly, antibiotics can affect intestinal flora, leading to some intestinal diseases and even malnutrition;

It can also lead to a lack of vitamin K, which is a coagulation factor. A lack of it can lead to easy bleeding and continuous bleeding.

Strictly follow the doctor's instructions to use antibiotics

Whether your child needs antibiotics should be determined by your doctor. Antibiotics are usually required for infections caused by bacteria and mycoplasma, but antibiotics have little effect on most viral infections, such as common pathogens that cause upper respiratory tract infections in children and diarrhea in infants and young children. Common symptoms such as fever, sore throat, cough and runny nose are still mostly caused by viral infections. Therefore, antibiotics should never be used on children as soon as they become sick.

Principles of antibiotic use:

1. When antibiotics must be used, oral dosage forms should be used first, followed by intramuscular injection, and finally intravenous drip.

Additionally, drug dosages are usually calculated by a physician based on diagnosis, condition, weight, or body surface area. Parents should give their children medication strictly on time and remember not to change it at will.

2. Use natural food instead of antibiotics to kill bacteria

For example: Garlic is a recognized natural antibiotic with strong antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects. "Food antibiotics" similar to garlic include onions, ginger, etc. However, these are foods after all, they have not been purified and the dosage is difficult to control, so they cannot replace real medicines and directly treat diseases. But if consumed appropriately, the effect of preventing diseases is still good.

3. If you can take medicine, don’t get an injection. If you can get an injection, don’t get an IV.

4. The following principles should be followed when using antibiotics:

5. Don’t use broad spectrum when narrow spectrum can be used;

6. Don’t use high-level ones if you can use low-level ones;

7. Use one instead of two;

8. Don’t get an injection if you can take medicine, and don’t get an infusion if you can get an injection;

9. Antibiotics are generally not used in combination for mild or moderate infections.

Antibiotics are not required for diseases such as colds, autumn and winter diarrhea in infants and young children, and infant asthma. Try to avoid the abuse of antibiotics during treatment.