Brits are being warned not to take certain medicines
Health chiefs have issued a crucial warning about antibiotic use this winter. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has emphasised that these medications are unsuitable for treating certain conditions.
Antibiotics are medicines designed to tackle or prevent bacterial infections. They function by either destroying bacteria or preventing their growth and reproduction.
This assists the body’s natural defence system in eliminating the infection, explains the Mirror. However, it’s vital to understand that antibiotics are ineffective against viral infections. These encompass conditions like colds, flu, and COVID-19. In a post shared on social media platform X, the UKHSA clarified: “Antibiotics don’t work for colds and flu – pharmacists can advise you on how to treat your symptoms.”
The agency urged people to adhere to these “simple” guidelines regarding antibiotic use:
- Don’t take them for colds or flu
- Don’t save them for later
- Take as directed
The alert follows the UKHSA’s most recent English Surveillance Programme for Antimicrobial Utilisation and Resistance (ESPAUR) report, released in November, which disclosed that almost 400 individuals are diagnosed with antibiotic-resistant infections weekly across England. These represent infections that prove more challenging to treat and may result in severe complications.
Experts believe that excessive antibiotic use in recent years has rendered them “less effective” and contributed to the development of “superbugs”.
According to the NHS, these are bacterial strains that have built up resistance to numerous antibiotic types, including:
- MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)
- Clostridium difficile (C. diff)
- the bacteria that cause multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis
The NHS states: “These types of infections can be serious and challenging to treat, and are becoming an increasing cause of disability and death across the world. The biggest worry is that new strains of bacteria may emerge that cannot be treated by any existing antibiotics.”
Dr Alicia Demirjian, consultant epidemiologist and clinical lead for antimicrobial resistance and prescribing at the UKHSA, remarked: “Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats facing modern medicine, but the good news is we can all do something about it.”
Should you receive antibiotics from a GP, you must ensure you take them precisely as directed. This means not skipping a single dose.
The NHS cautions: “If you forget to take a dose of your antibiotics, check the patient information leaflet that came with your medicine to find out what to do. If you’re not sure, speak to a pharmacist or a GP. In most cases, you can take the dose you missed as soon as you remember and then continue to take your course of antibiotics as normal. But if it’s almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule.”
You must never take a double dose to compensate for one you’ve missed.
Looking for more from MyLondon? Subscribe to our daily newsletters here for the latest and greatest updates from across London.
