Treatment of bacterial infections
Treatment of bacterial infections focuses on alleviating symptoms caused by pathogenic bacteria while aiming to cure the affected individual. These infections can vary in severity, from mild ailments like strep throat to life-threatening conditions such as pneumonia and tuberculosis. The appropriate treatment depends on the specific bacterial species involved, the severity of the illness, the patient’s health status, and the bacteria's resistance to medications.
For mild infections, home care—such as increased fluid intake, proper nutrition, and rest—can often suffice, while alternative remedies like certain herbs and honey are also used, though clinical evidence supporting their effectiveness is limited. Antibiotics remain the primary pharmacological treatment, specifically targeting bacteria and inhibiting their growth or killing them. These drugs are categorized into broad-spectrum antibiotics, effective against a wide range of bacteria, and narrow-spectrum antibiotics, which target specific types.
However, the overuse and misuse of antibiotics have led to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, complicating treatment options and presenting significant public health challenges. The development of new antibiotics has slowed, emphasizing the ongoing need for research and innovative approaches in the fight against bacterial infections.
Treatment of bacterial infections
Definition
Treatment for bacterial infections involves relieving the symptoms of disease caused by harmful (pathogenic) bacteria and curing a diseased person. Bacterial infections can be mild, leading to discomfort and inconvenience, or severe, leading to permanent disability or to death.
Common bacterial infections include bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, salmonella, strep throat, acne, and boils. The treatment for a bacterial infection depends on the type of bacterium causing the disease, the severity of the disease, the infected person’s overall health, the body’s response to medicines used for treatment, the bacterium’s resistance to medicines, and the availability of medicines.
Treatment Without Drugs
As bacteria infect the human body, the immune system fights the invading pathogens. Symptoms such as fever, cough, swelling, fatigue, and discharge of fluids signal a bacterial infection. If the symptoms are mild, bacterial infections can be treated at home without a doctor’s prescription. An increase in fluids, proper nutrition, and bed rest can relieve symptoms and allow the body’s natural defenses to fight the infection.
Many plants worldwide have been used to treat bacterial infections, including certain mushrooms, tea leaves, various herbs, and the seeds and oil of the Chia plant. Honey has been promoted as an infection fighter, too. However, rigorous clinical trials have not proven the effectiveness of these alternative treatments.
Though not technically a treatment, prevention is a proven method for battling bacterial infections. Common methods to prevent the spread of bacterial infections include covering the mouth when coughing or sneezing, washing the hands often, washing raw fruits and vegetables before preparing them, cooking fruits and vegetables properly, cleaning and covering cuts on the skin, and disinfecting surfaces in the room or rooms where the sick person rests.
Treatment with Drugs
The most common and proven drugs for treating bacterial infections are antibiotics, sometimes called antibacterials. Antibiotics are chemical substances derived from bacteria, molds, and other microorganisms. Each antibiotic works against a specific bacteria species. Antibiotics, however, do not work against viruses, fungi, and parasites.
Antibiotics either kill the targeted bacteria or prevent them from reproducing, allowing the body’s immune system to destroy the pathogens. Antibiotic medicines take the form of pills that are swallowed or liquids that are swallowed or injected into the muscles or veins.
Penicillin, a chemical produced by a mold, was the first substance recognized as an antibiotic. It was identified in 1929 by Scottish bacteriologist Arthur Fleming, but it was not refined and manufactured in quantity until World War II, which saw an increased need for antibacterial medicines.
Antibiotics are variously classified according to the microorganisms they are obtained from, by their chemical structure, by the way they interact with bacteria, and by the types of bacteria they fight. Under the latter classification, antibiotics are classified into two broad groups: broad-spectrum antibiotics and narrow-spectrum antibiotics. Broad-spectrum antibiotics fight both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria (the two major types of bacteria, classified by the thickness of the cell wall surrounding them). Tetracycline is a well-known broad-spectrum antibiotic that prevents the growth and spread of bacteria. Narrow-spectrum antibiotics target only gram-positive bacteria. The penicillins (such as amoxicillin, ampicillin, and oxacillin) are the best-known antibiotics in this group. They interfere with the growth of the bacteria’s cell wall and eventually kill the bacteria.
Responses to Treatment
Although antibiotics are effective in curing bacterial infections, some present side effects or cause allergic reactions. A side effect is an undesirable effect on the body caused by a drug; an allergic reaction is the immune system’s uncontrolled response to a foreign substance, such as a drug. Some antibiotics interact with other drugs (therapeutic and recreational) and reduce the effectiveness of or increase the side effects of the other drugs or the antibiotic. Alcohol and most antibiotics, for example, do not mix.
Most common side effects of antibiotics are seldom serious or long-lasting. They include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, sensitivity to sunlight, and vaginal yeast infection. In some rare cases, however, antibiotics have severe effects on the function of the kidneys, liver, or other organs.
Mild allergic reactions include an itchy rash, wheezing, shortness of breath, and swelling of the lips and tongue. A more severe and life-threatening reaction is anaphylaxis, which involves a drop in blood pressure, swelling of the throat, and inability to swallow or breathe.
Not everyone experiences side effects or allergic reactions when taking antibiotics, and among those who do, not all respond the same way. The body’s reaction to any foreign matter is highly individualized.
Impact
Although antibiotics are effective against bacterial infections, their use has not yet eradicated bacteria-causing diseases. Furthermore, after more than sixty years of exposure to antibiotics, many bacteria have developed resistance, chiefly because of the overuse and misuse of these drugs. Many species of harmful bacteria have acquired antibiotic-resistant genes by swapping genetic material with each other. This has led to the growth of superbugs or superbacteria, some of which are resistant to all known antibiotics. Antibiotic resistance makes it more difficult to treat bacterial infections and can lead to serious complications such as bacteria escaping into the bloodstream, coma, and even death.
The development of antibiotics in medical laboratories is a long, complex, and costly process. Commercial production is costly, too. Only a few new classes of antibiotics have been developed since the 1950s, including quinolones, carbapenems, oxazolidinones, lipopeptides, and diarylquinolines. Few new antibiotics have been brought to the market in recent years or been involved in clinical trials. Only a small group were believed to be able to combat antibiotic resistance. Research indicates that the battle between medical science and disease-causing bacteria will continue indefinitely.
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