HEALTH


MANUKA HONEY can inhibit bacteria from communicating and expanding their viability.


Natural alternatives to antibiotics


Introduced in the 1940s, antibiotics have been embedded as medicine for the treatment of bacterial infections. Although antibiotics have their place in medicine, are antibiotics really worth the underlying risk?


by Bec Farah


THE WIDESPREAD USE OF ANTIBIOTICS Caught a cold or flu? Antibiotics. Coughing? Antibiotics. Ear infection? Antibiotics. Sound familiar? Antibiotics have become one of the most over- prescribed conventional medicines today. Have you ever gone to the doctors when you were unwell and been prescribed antibiotics, despite a lack of diagnosis yet? The first national report of antimicrobial use found almost half of all Australians were prescribed antibiotics at least once in 2014, and a huge proportion didn't need them. The Australian Commission on Safety


and Quality in Health Care report found that in Australia's hospitals on any given


10 SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2017


day more than one-third of patients were given antibiotics, with almost half either inappropriately prescribed or flouting guidelines. Similarly, more than one third of people who visit the doctor when they or their child have a cold or flu-like symptoms are expected to be prescribed antibiotics. The highest rates of antibiotic usage in the community was found to be among children up to nine years old and people over 65, with medical practitioners accounting for 88% of all antibiotic prescriptions. Senior medical adviser Professor


John Turnidge suggests that, “it's such an ingrained belief that all infections are caused by bacteria and require antibiotics when in fact most


respiratory infections, around 95 per cent, are caused by virus, and in these instances antibiotics give you nothing but side effects”.


SO WHY SHOULD YOU CARE? It is important to be aware of the many side effects and consequences that the overuse of antibiotics and broad-spectrum drugs have on our bodies. It can make the drugs less effective against the bacteria they are intended to treat by encouraging the growth of antibiotic-resistant infection. They damage the lining of the gut, causing leaky gut and reduce nutrient absorption. They can also wipe out good bacteria (probiotics) within the


IMAGE: CHINH LE DUC


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