Learn About Antibiotics: Uses and Resistance

What are bacterial infections?

The infection occurs when a bacterium penetrates the body and starts growing and multiplicating, and the body starts reacting to it. The term means different types of interaction of bacteria with the human body. The term “infection” was first introduced back in 1546.

Types of bacterial infections

An infection can develop in different directions and take different forms. The form of infection depends on the ratio of the pathogenicity (the ability to cause disease) of the microorganism, the factors protecting the human body from the infection, and environmental factors.

A Localized infection is a type of infection that is spread only on a certain area of organism’s tissues. It occurs, usually, on the site where the microbe penetrated the tissue. It is commonly accompanied by local inflammation. Local infections include a bacterial sore throat, furuncles, diphtheria, erysipelas, etc. In some cases, localized infection can develop into a chronic infection, for instance, chronic sore throat (pharyngitis, tonsillitis).
A generalized infection is an infection in which pathogens have spread predominantly by lymphohematogenous pathways throughout the body.
A common infection is the penetration of microorganisms into the blood and their spread throughout the body. Penetrating into the tissues of the body, the microbe multiplies at the site of penetration and then penetrates into the blood. Such a distribution mechanism is typical Salmonella, typhus, syphilis, some forms of tuberculosis, and others.
A focal infection can occur as a result of an organ inflammation accompanied by tissue destruction.
An intercurrent infection/secondary is an infection that develops on the basis of an existing infection, or an existing disease, for example, in diabetes mellitus, or in renal and hepatic insufficiency.
A latent infection is a condition in which a microorganism that lives and multiplies in the tissues of the body does not cause any symptoms. For instance, it can be the chronic form of gonorrhea, chronic salmonellosis, urethritis, and so on.
Besides this classification, infections can be either primary or opportunistic.
A primary infection is an infection that basically occurs in the generally healthy body.
An opportunistic infection is an infection that develops in a body which is already ill. For instance, if a person has low immunity protection and already suffers from an injury or a certain condition. If you injure your hand and then develop an infection, it is an opportunistic infection.

How to prevent bacterial infection development?

There are several rules that can help you avoid getting infected with pathogenic bacteria. First of all, our bodies have a built-in system that fights bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens. It is called immune system. In order to avoid developing infections or complications of infections, it is advised to improve your immunity and support it especially in fall, spring, and if you are exposed to carriers of an infection. It is quite easy to develop good immune system if you are generally healthy. All you need to do, first of all, is to eat healthy food, i.e. avoid fast-food, add to your diet products rich in vitamins such as fruits, berries, vegetables, fish, whole grains, and so on. Secondly, you need to exercise at least a couple of times a week. Exercising will help you stay in shape and your organs and systems work as clocks without any diseases and infections. Thirdly, you must avoid using antibiotics in an unconfirmed bacterial infection. Although these medications are the only way to cope with this type of infections, if you use them improperly, the pathogens that are in your body in small amounts and even do not cause the symptoms, are likely to develop resistance to the antibiotics. And when you indeed would need the use of antibiotics to cope with an infection, the medications wouldn’t be ineffective. Moreover, you can even develop a superinfection which is a type of severe infection resulting from bacteria resistance. It is harder to treat than a common infection and it can even lead to death although we live in the age of advanced medicine.

Signs and symptoms of bacterial infections

Sometimes it is easy to detect an infection and sometimes it is not. For instance, if you cut your finger and after a couple of days you see pus there, it means that most likely you had developed an infection. In other cases, for instance, if you are coughing, have a fever, and suffer from fatigue, it can be a viral infection, but if it doesn’t go away in 5-7 days, it may be still viral infection or a secondary bacterial infection. Moreover, in some cases, an infection can develop and flow without any symptoms.
The signs and symptoms significantly depend on the place and character of an infection. However, there are some symptoms that can signalize that you have an inflammation and possible infection. They are fever, headache, general weakness, somnolence, an ache in a certain area or organ, loss of appetite, inability to concentrate, dizziness, and so on.

Diagnosis of bacterial infection

The diagnosis is commonly started with a patient survey and physical examination. If based on the symptoms and examination a doctor is still unsure whether you have a bacterial infection or want to make sure that you do have an inflammation, for instance, in internal organs, or if the treatment requires precise assessment of the stage of the disease, you can be also appointed to undergo various tests such as X-ray, blood tests, urine tests, and others.

Stages of bacterial infections

The infection develops in the following stages:
An incubation period is a time when the bacteria has already penetrated the body and starts replicating and producing waste products until a certain moment when the body starts to react to the infection with clinically visible symptoms. The duration of this period is from a couple of hours to several years.
A prodromal period is a time when the first signs of an infection such as fatigue, fever, loss of appetite, and others start occurring though there are no specific symptoms that can help detecting a certain infection or disease.
A period of the disease development is a time when the symptoms of the disease start to manifest in full capacity. If the disease has typical symptoms, they also start to manifest along with fatigue, and other signs common for all infections.
A convalescence period is the period of recovery. It is the final period of the infectious disease that can be either prompt (crisis) or slow (lysis), it can also turn the condition into a chronic one.

Types of antibiotics

A huge variety of antibiotics and their effects on the human body was the reason for the classification and separation of antibiotics into groups.

By the nature of the effect on the bacterial cell, antibiotics can be divided into two groups:
- Bacteriostatic (bacteria remain alive, but not able to reproduce),
- Bactericidal (bacteria die, and then are eliminated from the body).

It is important to remember that usually it is not advised to combine the antibiotics from the different classes. At our online drugstore, each antibiotic has a description where it is indicated whether it is a bacteriostatic or bactericidal drug.

Ways of administration

There are several ways to take or receive antibiotics: by mouth (pills), intravenously (infusions), and as an intramuscular injection. Pills or capsules can be usually taken at home if the condition doesn’t require constant doctor’s supervision. Intramuscular injections also can be done at home. But if your doctor prescribes you intravenous infusions, you would need to stay in the hospital to receive them as only a qualified medical worker can do the procedure correctly.

Where to buy antibiotics?

Our online pharmacy offers you to purchase a great variety of generic antibiotics no way inferior to the branded drugs at cheaper prices and without a prescription.