Antibiotics have become such a commonly used medicine; some may consider it as regularly used as Tylenol. This thought does not seem that outrageous, but the overuse of antibiotics is quite an epidemic. Antibiotic use is even more of a worry because of the fact that people ignore the need to act on the problem of over-prescribing antibiotics to patients. Some people believe the over-prescription of antibiotics by doctors is not a detriment to society and their immune systems, but rather a helpful accident. Over-prescribing antibiotics is not a good thing at all; the overuse of antibiotics causes antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance can be very dangerous and damaging to the human immune system. There are steps that can be taken by physicians
…show more content…
People may believe that overusing antibiotics is harmless or may even be helpful. Some may find comfort in the idea that the continuous use of antibiotics, even after an infection is healed, would be helpful to a person because the antibiotic rids the body of the harmful bacteria. This idea is flawed because the bacteria begins to become used to the antibiotic and evolves to the point that the antibiotic loses its ability to kill bacterial growth. This loss in ability is known as antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance is actually rather dangerous to the body. The CDC states that, “Each year in the United States, at least 2 million people become infected with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics and at least 23,000 people die each year as a direct result of these infections. Many more people die from other conditions that were complicated by an antibiotic-resistant infection.” The population of O’Fallon, Illinois in 2010 was just over 28,000 (United States Census Bureau); the amount of people who die each year because of antibiotic resistance is not much lower than the number of people that live in O’Fallon. This means that every year, it is if a town dies at the hands of antibiotic …show more content…
Web. 2 Dec 2014. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/threat-report-2013/index.html
“General Background: About Antibiotic Resistance.” Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics, n.d. Web. 2 Dec 2014. Retrieved from http://www.tufts.edu/med/apua/about_issue/about_antibioticres.shtml
"Antibiotics". History Learning Site, 2014. Web. 2 Dec 2014. Retrieved from http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/antibiotics.htm
“Diseases and Conditions: MRSA infection.” Mayo Clinic, n.d. Web. 2 Dec 2014. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mrsa/basics/definition/con-20024479
“Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance.” U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 18 Sep 2014. Web. 2 Dec 2014. Retrieved from http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/BuyingUsingMedicineSafely/AntibioticsandAntibioticResistance/UCM2007092
Lee, Grace C, Kelly R Reveles, Russell T Attridge, Kenneth A Lawson, Ishak A Mansi, James S Lewis II, and Christopher R Frei. "Outpatient Antibiotic Prescribing In The United States: 2000 To 2010." BMC Medicine Vol. 12, 96, 11 Jun 2014. Web. 2 Dec. 2014.
“State & County QuickFacts: O’Fallon (city), Illinois.” United States Census Bureau, 8 Jul 2014. Web. 2 Dec
People may believe that overusing antibiotics is harmless or may even be helpful. Some may find comfort in the idea that the continuous use of antibiotics, even after an infection is healed, would be helpful to a person because the antibiotic rids the body of the harmful bacteria. This idea is flawed because the bacteria begins to become used to the antibiotic and evolves to the point that the antibiotic loses its ability to kill bacterial growth. This loss in ability is known as antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance is actually rather dangerous to the body. The CDC states that, “Each year in the United States, at least 2 million people become infected with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics and at least 23,000 people die each year as a direct result of these infections. Many more people die from other conditions that were complicated by an antibiotic-resistant infection.” The population of O’Fallon, Illinois in 2010 was just over 28,000 (United States Census Bureau); the amount of people who die each year because of antibiotic resistance is not much lower than the number of people that live in O’Fallon. This means that every year, it is if a town dies at the hands of antibiotic …show more content…
Web. 2 Dec 2014. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/threat-report-2013/index.html
“General Background: About Antibiotic Resistance.” Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics, n.d. Web. 2 Dec 2014. Retrieved from http://www.tufts.edu/med/apua/about_issue/about_antibioticres.shtml
"Antibiotics". History Learning Site, 2014. Web. 2 Dec 2014. Retrieved from http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/antibiotics.htm
“Diseases and Conditions: MRSA infection.” Mayo Clinic, n.d. Web. 2 Dec 2014. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mrsa/basics/definition/con-20024479
“Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance.” U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 18 Sep 2014. Web. 2 Dec 2014. Retrieved from http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/BuyingUsingMedicineSafely/AntibioticsandAntibioticResistance/UCM2007092
Lee, Grace C, Kelly R Reveles, Russell T Attridge, Kenneth A Lawson, Ishak A Mansi, James S Lewis II, and Christopher R Frei. "Outpatient Antibiotic Prescribing In The United States: 2000 To 2010." BMC Medicine Vol. 12, 96, 11 Jun 2014. Web. 2 Dec. 2014.
“State & County QuickFacts: O’Fallon (city), Illinois.” United States Census Bureau, 8 Jul 2014. Web. 2 Dec