Antibiotics types, benefits and side effects

What are Antibiotics?

Antibiotics are medications that treats bacterial infections in people’s bodies and animals’ bodies by killing bacteria or stopping the growth of bacteria development.  Antibiotics available in variety of ways, including:

• Orally: Pills, capsules, or liquids.

• Topically: Creams, sprays, ointments, eye drops, or ear drops.

• Injection : Usually for more serious infection in the body.

Types of antibiotics

The medicine world provides several hundreds of different types of antibiotics, but mostly classified into 6 groups. They are :-

1. Penicillins – This is the first antibiotics provided to human beings. After the arrival of this antibiotic so many bacterial attacks are easily stopped and improve the human being’s body health. Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin antibiotics in 1928, and one of the boons discovered for human beings. This antibiotic is widely used to treat a variety of infections, including skin infections, chest infections and urinary tract infections.
2. Cephalosporins – This  cephalosporins antibiotic was discovered by Giuseppe Brotzu in 1945. This antibiotic used to treat a wide range of infections, but this is mostly effective for treating more serious infections, such as sepsis and meningitis.
3. Aminoglycosides – The first aminoglycoside antibiotic was discovered in 1943 by American biochemists Selman Waksman, Albert Schatz, and Elizabeth Bugie. This antibiotic is only used in hospitals to treat very serious illnesses such as sepsis. This sepsis is mainly causing hearing loss and kidney damage.
4. Tetracyclines – This antibiotic was discovered by Benjamin Minge Duggar in 1945. This antibiotic can be used to treat a wide range of infections, but mostly used to treat acne and a skin condition called rosacea.
5. Macrolides – This antibiotic mainly useful for treating lung and chest infections. This is also used to treat people who are facing penicillin allergy, or to treat penicillin-resistant strains of bacteria.
6. Fluoroquinolones– This antibiotic that was once used to treat a wide range of infections, mainly to treat respiratory and urinary tract infections. This antibiotic should not be used routinely because it will cause several health risks of serious side effects.
7. Some other antibiotics available such as

• • Chloramphenicol – used for eye and ear infections

  • Fusidic acid – used for skin and eye infections

  • Nitrofurantoin and trimethoprim – used for urinary tract infections.

Benefits of Using Antibiotics 

People can get so many health benefits while using antibiotics. They are:-

• Treating bacterial infections: can deal life-threatening infections like pneumonia and treat other bacterial infections in the body.
• Preventing the spread of disease: can support to prevent the spread of infections to other people.
• Reducing complications: can help to stop the power of bacteria and also reduce the serious complications from disease.
• Speeding up recovery: can help to improve the healing chance faster and better.

Side effects of AntiBiotics

Antibiotics can cause some side effects in the body, from minor level to major level. The most common side effects related to these medications are:

• Vomiting.

• Nausea.

• Diarrhea.

• Bloating.

• Indigestion.

• Abdominal pain.

• Loss of appetite.

• Skin Rash.

• Skin damage like skin will be more sensitive to sunlight.

• Yeast infections.

• Dizziness.

Does Antibiotics Kill Virus?

These medications mainly kill the bacteria and it cannot kill viruses due to viruses having different structures and replicating in a variety of ways than bacteria. So, the main duty is to stop the growth machinery in bacteria (not viruses) to kill or inhibit those particular bacteria.

Can pregnant women take antibiotics?

During pregnancy time, taking some antibiotics are safe for women and baby health. But using tetracyclines is not safe during pregnancy time. This antibiotic is also not safe for women during breastfeeding. Women should always seek health care provider advice before going to take any self medications.

Can you drink alcohol while taking antibiotics?

Commonly people are not recommended to consume alcohol while using antibiotics, because it will cause side effects such as dizziness, stomach upset, and drowsiness. Alcohol also slows down the antibiotic power in the body and also slows down the healing process. The combination with alcohol can affect the liver functions. Regularly following this habit will damage the liver organ. People should never mix alcohol with medications like metronidazole, tinidazole, and sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim.

When should people avoid antibiotics?

Many people think that they are the right choice for all infections, but that’s not true. Because most sore throats, cough and colds, flu, COVID are not caused by bacteria. So, these health issues don’t need an antibiotic. These viral infections are easily kicked by the immune system present in the body.

People who use these medications for viral infections can boost the risk for antibiotic resistance. When this happens, antibiotic-resistant bacteria cannot be killed fully by an antibiotic. Using these medications without necessity also leads people’s health into several risks of side effects and adds extra cost for medical expenditure.

Can a person share their antibiotics with others?

If a person takes them to deal with his/her health issues, it is better to avoid sharing his/her antibiotics with others. Because sharing these medications with anyone, or taking medicine that was prescribed for someone else may be harmful to the body’s health. People should save an antibiotic medicine in their pocket or handbag to use the next time during the sick hour’s. Sometimes, It may not be the right drug for illness, and that antibiotics could expire.