by Fiona Mckay

Created on: September 09, 2010

The advent of antibiotics was a giant leap forward in medicine. Before antibiotics, a simple cut that became infected could cause death. Antibiotics made the world a little safer from septic infections.

 The problem these days is that antibiotics are often used as the first line of treatment when they usually should only be a last resort. It is well documented that flu is a virus and so antibiotics cannot cure it but every year millions of antibiotics are prescribed unnecessarily. A lot of doctors say that it is the patients that want the antibiotics in the first place.

 The danger of taking too many antibiotics is that your body builds up a resistance to them and they thus become less effective in future. A further problem is that many people don’t complete the course of antibiotics leading t o recurrent infections that become more and more resistant to the antibiotics.

 Antibiotics also weaken the bodies own immune response leaving you more vulnerable to infections. Eventually you’ll find that you catch every bug that goes around.

 To Protect Yourself and your Family:

 Tell your doctor that you’d prefer not to use antibiotics unless vital and don’t insist on having them prescribed unless the doctor suggests it. Find out from the doctor what your alternatives are. Discuss your lifestyle with your doctor in order to get tips on how to prevent a recurrence of symptoms.

 Boost your Immunity:

 Prevention is always better than cure. Make sure you boost your immune system by using the following tips:

1)  Follow a healthy eating plan – eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables daily and cut back on unhealthy fats and processed foods.

2)  Make sure that you are getting at least 30 minutes exercise 3 times a week. (If you are currently unfit or haven’t exercised in a long while – start off slowly)

3)  Consider supplementing with Vitamin C – Vitamin C is especially helpful in boosting the immune system

4)  Analyze your lifestyle. Are you under a lot of pressure? If so, you need to schedule regular breaks as stress over a long period breaks down immunity. Also consider taking a Vitamin B complex supplement to help you cope.

5)  If you are a smoker, quit.

6)  If you drink more than 2 portions of alcohol a day, you need to cut back.

7)  A natural alternative that boosts immunity is garlic. Either take a garlic supplement daily or chew a clove of garlic daily.

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