• The word antibiotic translates from the Greek meaning “opposing life.” Antibiotics kill or stop the growth of the micro-organisms that cause infection. The term was first used in 1942 to describe those substances that are antagonistic to the growth of harmful micro-organisms.
- Much of the time, the body’s immune system can kill bacteria before they can multiply and cause symptoms. White blood cells attack harmful bacteria and fend off an infection. But if the bacteria numbers are excessive and the immune system can’t fight as hard as necessary, antibiotics are prescribed.
- Although we might think of the advent of antibiotics with the introduction of penicillin in 1941, they have actually been in use for centuries. Ancient civilizations – Egypt, China, Serbia, Greece, and Romans – used moldy bread to treat infections. Of course, the ancients didn’t know that the infections were caused by bacteria, as it wasn’t until the last century that the cause of infection was learned.
- During the 17th century, English herbalist and botanist and apothecary to King James I, John Parkinson, was the first to document the use of molds to treat infections.
- Although Alexander Fleming discovered “Penicillium notatum” accidentally in 1928, it wasn’t until 1945 that the process of mass production was perfected by Oxford University scientists. Fleming discovered that a culture plate of Staphylococcus bacteria was cleared by the fungus penicillin wherever it grew on the plate.
- Many antibiotics are produced naturally, but some are fully synthetic. Sulfonamides, also known as “sulfa drugs” were first tested in the 1930s at Bayer Laboratories in Germany. Today they are prescribed to treat IBS, UTIs, malaria, and skin, ear, and eye infections.
- Selman Waksman received the 1952 Nobel Prize for medicine for his discovery of streptomycin, the first antibiotic effective against tuberculosis. His research into decomposition of organisms living in the soil led to the discovery. This medication is also effective against endocarditis, plague, and brucellosis.
• Antibiotics revolutionized the treatment of bacterial infections, but they are completely ineffective against viruses such as the common cold, influenza, or COVID-19. They also have no effect on fungal infections such as athlete’s foot.
- Antibiotics are not “one size fits all,” as there are many different classes based on their structural formula, specific for the type of bacteria being treated. They shouldn’t be interchanged from one infection to another. The antibiotics that work for an intestinal tract infection aren’t the same as the ones prescribed for strep throat. Although penicillin is the most well-known class, there are at least nine others that treat bacteria. Tetracyclines treat acne, urinary and intestinal tract infections, eye infections, and gum disease. Macrolides effectively treat pneumonia and whooping cough.
- The most common infections treated by antibiotics are acne, bronchitis, conjunctivitis (pink eye), and ear infections. Strep throat, skin infections, and respiratory tract infections are also commonly treated by these medications.
- If antibiotics are over-used, bacteria can become resistant to them, and deadly drug-resistant bacterial infections can result. Close to 3 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur every year in the United States, resulting in upwards of 35,000 deaths.
