They say that insanity is continuing to do the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results. And by that definition, the medical mainstream is barking mad, at least when it comes to the use of antibiotics.
As we’ve been warning for well over eight years now here at Healthier Talk, the overuse of these miracle drugs is downright dangerous, and has led to the birth of superbugs that are resistant to antibiotics. That means that some illnesses that were once easy to treat aren’t any longer, and in some cases they’ve even become deadly.
Countless studies over the years have highlighted the growing problem, such as the study I told you about back in 2010 that revealed a 74 percent jump in C. diff infections over 10 years. Or the study, published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, which uncovered a dangerous new antibiotic-resistant strain of E. coli.
So, in light of this growing epidemic you’d expect there to have been a big shift in how antibiotics are being prescribed and used, right? Because if anything has ever called for a more conservative approach, THIS is it.
But the medical mainstream has continued to prescribe antibiotics for ever sniffle, cough and fever, handing them out as if they were free samples at the supermarket.
47 million unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions written
Finding that a little hard to believe? Well, an in-depth study, published in JAMA earlier this year, concluded that 1 in 3 antibiotics prescribed in the United States in doctor’s offices, E.R.s and hospitals are unnecessary.1 That adds up to a staggering 47 million inappropriate prescriptions. And, of course, the growing antibiotic resistance to go with them.
Now a new study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, looking at the use of antibiotics for hospitalized patients, has come to some equally troubling conclusions. Between the years of 2006 and 2012 the use of antibiotics in U.S. hospitals hasn’t budged. Doctors are still handing out the drugs like lollipops. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, there were actually INCREASES in the use of some broad spectrum ones.
The truth is, before docs got lazy and started prescribing antibiotics whether you needed them or not, they were a true Godsend. They’ve saved countless lives, and despite their overuse they still are returning people to good health every single day.
We ALL need to fight antibiotic resistance
But if we want to be able keep using these wonder drugs we ALL have to do our part to fight antibiotic resistance. And that means not taking them when they aren’t needed.
For example, NO virus can be killed by an antibiotic, so if your doc dashes off a prescription for one when you have the flu, or simply a cold, don’t be shy about asking him why. And if you don’t like his answer don’t bother to fill that prescription, and seek out a second opinion instead.
And if you have a relatively minor infection, such as a UTI, with your doctor’s permission you can try some drug-free natural approaches first. For example, regular Healthier Talk contributor, and editor of the world-renowned Nutrition and Healing newsletter, Dr. Glen Rothfeld says taking d-mannose—a potent natural sugar—can send even the worst UTIs packing.
(To learn more about Dr. Rothfeld’s healing insights, as well as how you can obtain a FREE copy of his brand-new 526 page guidebook to stopping or REVERSING every one of today’s worst diseases, click here.)
There WILL be times when an antibiotic is needed, and you shouldn’t hesitate to use them if that’s the case. But not using them when they aren’t needed can help make them effective when they are. Just don’t forget to take a probiotic to restore your gut-bug balance since antibiotics don’t discriminate, they kill the good bugs right along with the bad.
References:
1. “Prevalence of Inappropriate Antibiotic Prescriptions Among US Ambulatory Care Visits, 2010-2011,” JAMA. 2016;315(17):1864-1873
2. JAMA Intern Med. Published online September 19, 2016. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.5651
She is an advocate of self-education and is passionate about the power of group knowledge sharing, like the kind found right here on HealthierTalk.com. Alice loves to share her views on holistic and natural healing as well as her, sometimes contentious, thoughts on the profit-driven inner workings of traditional medicine.
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