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Antibiotics play a very important role of modern medicine. These medications are used to fight many infections caused by bacteria. The following facts about antibiotics will help you understand how these drugs work, their possible side effects and the importance of taking antibiotics as directed by your doctor.

   1. Antibiotics belong to a class of drugs called Antimicrobials. Other drugs in this group include antifungals, antiprotozoals and antivirals.

   2. Antibiotics are medicines that kill bacteria. These drugs do not work on viruses. A bacterium is a living, reproducing lifeform. A virus is just a piece of DNA (or RNA). A virus injects its DNA into a living cell and has that cell reproduce more of the viral DNA. With a virus there is nothing to "kill," so antibiotics don’t work on it.

   3. There are many types of antibiotics. Each works a little differently and acts on different types of bacteria. Some antibiotics are effective against only certain types of bacteria; others can effectively fight a wide range of bacteria.

   4. While the use of antibiotics did not begin in the 20th century, early folk medicine included the use of mouldy foods or soil for infections. In ancient Egypt, for example, infections were treated with mouldy bread.

   5. Originally noticed by a French medical student, Ernest Duchesne, in 1896, penicillin was re-discovered by bacteriologist Alexander Fleming working at St. Mary’s Hospital in London in 1928. He observed that a plate culture of Staphylococcus had been contaminated by a blue-green mold and that colonies of bacteria adjacent to the mold were being dissolved.

   6. A broad spectrum antibiotic is one that can kill many different types of bacteria. A broad spectrum antibiotic is useful for treating infections that might be caused by many different types of bacteria such as ear infections. A narrow spectrum antibiotic is one that kills only a small variety of germs.

   7. Antibiotics must be taken for the full amount of time prescribed by your doctor. Many times, patients will stop the use of an antibiotic when they begin to feel better and it seems that the illness has gone. However, even after the symptoms are gone, the bacteria may still be present in small amounts and an infection can return if use of the antibiotic is stopped. Not completing the prescribed dose also may promote resistance.

   8. There are two major drawbacks of antibiotics:
          * Bacterial resistance
          * Harmful side effects

   9. Bacteria may be naturally resistant to different classes of antibiotics or may acquire resistance from other bacteria through exchange of resistant genes.

  10. Antibiotics generally are safe. The most common side effects of antibiotics include stomach upset, nausea, and diarrhea. An increased sensitivity to sunlight is common with tetracyclines (e.g. doxycycline, minocycline) and fluoroquinolones (e.g. ciprofloxacin , ofloxacin, levofloxacin). Although most side-effects may be mild in appearance, some may be severe like allergic reactions and it may even be life-threatening allergic reactions. Should you experience any unexpected reaction to an antibiotic you use for the first time, immediately consult with your health professional.

  11. Antibiotics can kill most of the bacteria in your body that are sensitive to them, including "good" bacteria. By destroying the bacterial balance, they may cause stomach upsets, diarrhea, yeast infections or other problems.

  12. Any antibiotic can suppress the healthy bacteria in your colon. Usually this problem surfaces when the newer, more powerful antibiotics are prescribed, or when multiple antibiotics are used for serious infections. Almost any antibiotic can cause antibiotic-associated colitis (also called pseudomembranous colitis, or Clostridium difficile colitis)., but the following have been implicated in most cases: clindamycin, lincomycin, ampicillin, cephalosporins. The aminoglycosides (amikacin, gentamicin), erythromycin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin , levofloxacin) seem less likely to be the cause.

  13. Antibiotic associated diarrhea can occur within two days of completing a course of antibiotics or even up to six weeks later. The risk of antibiotic associated diarrhea rises with how often and how long the antibiotics are taken. Even the most gentle antibiotics, given for a short period of time, can occasionally lead to this problem. Therefore, if you have new symptoms of diarrhea, it is important that you make your doctor aware of any antibiotics you may have taken in the last several months.

  14. Yeast Overgrowth. One of the most common side effects of antibiotics is yeast overgrowth. Women who use antibiotics often develop bowel and vaginal yeast infections. Children treated repeatedly with antibiotics for ear infections often develop yeast and fungal infections of the middle ear.

  15. Antibiotics can, in some cases, hinder the immune response. For example, children given amoxicillin for chronic earaches suffer two to six times the rate of recurrent middle ear effusion than children who took a placebo. According to Carol Jessop, MD, Clinical Professor at the University of California at San Francisco, 80% of her patients who suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome (or chronic fatigue immunodeficiency syndrome) had a history of recurrent antibiotics treatment as a child, adolescent or adult.

  16. Antibiotics will not cure viral illnesses, such as:
          * Colds or flu
          * Most coughs and bronchitis
          * Sore throats not caused by strep
          * Runny noses
          * Stomach flu (viral gastroenteritis)
          * Some ear infections

  17. When are antibiotics necessary? Here are a few examples:
          * Ear infections – there are several types; many need antibiotics, but some do not.
          * Sinus infections – most children with thick or green mucus do not have sinus infections. Antibiotics are needed for some long-lasting or severe cases.
          * Strep throat – this condition must be diagnosed by a laboratory test.
          * Urinary tract infections
          * Many wound and skin infections

  18. Sometimes it is very hard to tell when an illness is caused by a viral or bacterial infection. A test called a culture should be done to determine which bacteria, if any, are responsible for your illness. Without a culture, your health care provider must choose an antibiotic based on an educated guess of what bacteria are most likely to be causing your illness. Sometimes, those educated guesses are wrong.

  19. Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria change in a way that reduces or eliminates the effectiveness of antibiotics. These resistant bacteria survive and multiply – causing more harm, such as a longer illness, more doctor visits, and a need for more expensive and toxic antibiotics.

  20. Some antibiotics become less effective if they are taken with food. For example, azithromycin (zithromax) capsules should not be mixed with or taken with food, however tablets may be taken without regard to food.

The advances in technology in the past century have been extraordinary. From simple local communication abilities, to global, the world has been taking great strides in making technology a part of your daily life. The last few years have brought forth some truly unique technology, with the amount of wireless capabilities and products.

Bluetooth technology is by far at the front of the technological train. Bluetooth has changed the way we talk to people on phones from where we work. Some new products from Bluetooth have proved unique in that there are few like them.

Cell phones with bluetooth technology are completely wireless and compatible with your computer, PDA, Mp3 player, and now navigational system in your car. You no longer have to hold a phone and drive; the Bluetooth has allowed the phone to stay in your pocket as the car kit and phone become voice activated. If you would like to call someone you can simply speak the name and the phone will dial. You have the option of an earpiece and microphone or a system routed through your vehicles radio system. Whichever you choose this technology is sure to make talking on the phone much safer if you are driving.

Another interesting new technology with Bluetooth technology is the digital pen. The digital pen works with digital paper, writing just as you would with normal pens. You can simply write in your own handwriting on the digital paper and then place the pen in its home by your computer. The computer will upload the images from the pen right on to your computer. These pens may prove very handy for artists who would like to preserve some of the ideas they have without having to mess with a copier and scanner. The digital pen will also be useful for signature pages, you will not have to print and sign anymore, and you can sign the digital paper and upload on your computer with a touch of a button.

For navigational purposes there is nothing like the new product TomTom. This product has Bluetooth technology to give the most accurate directions available. With satellite navigation, it is currently in use in both Europe and North America. You can speak to the navigational system asking for directions to wherever you are going and TomTom will guide the way. No more time spent driving around lost or skipping the scenic route due to the chances of becoming lost. TomTom is so simple to use even a small child can operate it and get directions.

When you are in the market for new unique technological products Bluetooth has many to choose from. The advancement of wireless services is making life easier and more products accessible to people around the world.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about this as well as a car and truck accessories at
www.5starshine.com

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The problem is most of us are not curiosity seekers when it comes to the human body, particularly the skeletal system. Probably the total knowledge of what the average persons knows about this system, could be written in one paragraph.

Now switching over to another topic just for a moment, let me talk about curiosity. We are nosy creatures by habit, and thrive on learning interesting things. It doesn’t matter on what topic for the most part, if has something to do with us either direct or indirectly, then we want to here it. Only however if it simple to understand.

Now back to the skeletal system. This is definitely all about us, in fact it is us. Its not up to someone else to look after what belongs to us. The human anatomy is really not nearly as complex as we make it out to be. That statement only holds true for those that are not doing an in-depth study of the body. In those cases, yes it is complex, but not beyond understanding. Its just a matter of how much knowledge is necessary for the purpose we need it for. So in the case of the individual that wants to go into the medical profession, he needs a lot more knowledge than the average person who just want to take care of what he owns. Namely our body.

So not only are we going to talk about some interesting facts about your bones, we are going to learn some things that are important to our everyday living. Do you know that you have been losing things from your skeletal system over the years?

When you were born you had about 350 brand new bones. Now if you could peek inside yourself you’d count around 206 or so. That’s 90 less then what you started with. You know darn well you haven’t had any surgery that removed 90 of your bones, and you also know that you were born perfectly healthy. This truly is a mystery, and now you’re curious. Well actually it really isn’t all that much of a mystery. Many of our bones simply fuse together throughout out lifespan. Part of the reason this happens is so those bones fusing together, can perform the functions we need as adults, which we didn’t require as children.

Here is another point that may be of interest. Most of us reach our peak bone density or strength around the age of 20. So the adage that its “all down hill after 40″ is misleading. Now don’t let this thought depress you, and lead you to think that now that you’re past twenty that you are past the prime of you life. It simply means that you need to ensure you are taking care of your body. particularly your skeletal system right from that age on. Not waiting till you reach 40 before you start thinking about what’s good for your bones.

Lets cover one more interesting fact. There are so many to choose from its hard to decide which to share with you. How about those starvation diets that many of us have tried at some point in our life. We figure whatever damage they could cause is temporary right? Not so. you are damaging your bones because they are not being nourished properly. Who knows what lasting effects this could have.

So a little bit of basic knowledge about the body can mean a lot of good health through the years. You have to admit that some of the facts we covered here were quite interesting and did raise your curiosity.

James Ross is the founder of
HumanAnatomyCourse.com

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