This is near and dear to me.  Are we antibiotic resistant as a society?  Can we take to many antibiotics?

I’ve pondered these questions when I was younger and the older I get the answer is yes.

Let me tell you about myself.  When I was 15 I was diagnosed with Epstein Barr VIRUS.  Yes, a VIRUS.  My Mother didn’t question the Doctor about him prescribing antibiotics to me for a VIRUS.  She just did what the Doctor told her to do, here is the prescription get it filled he said.  I was so sick I wished I was dead.

My Mom did as the Doctor said and got it filled.  Guess what the VIRUS ran its course even though I was taking the antibiotic.  I found out as a young adult the Doctor said oh, you can get a secondary infection so take the medication.  What secondary infection was I going to get?  Noone, could answer that question.

I developed a resistance to antibiotics because of the long-term use of them.

As a young adult, I would get sinus infection almost monthly, little did I know my immune system was suppressed.

Fact #1 – Healthcare professionals can prevent the spread of antibiotic resistance by:

• Prescribing an antibiotic only when it is likely to benefit the patient.
• Prescribing an antibiotic that targets the bacteria only.
• Encouraging patients to use the antibiotic as instructed.
• Collaborating with each other, office staff, and patients to promote appropriate antibiotic use.

Fact #2 –  How should I use antibiotics to protect myself and my community from antibiotic resistance?

•  Tell your healthcare professional you are concerned about antibiotic resistance.
•  Be certain you have a bacterial infection and not just a virus.

Fact #3 – Bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics in several ways. Some bacteria can “neutralize” an antibiotic by changing it in a way that makes it harmless. Others have learned how to pump an antibiotic back outside of the bacteria before it can do any harm. Some bacteria can change their outer structure so the antibiotic has no way to attach to the bacteria it is designed to kill.

After being exposed to antibiotics, sometimes one of the bacteria can survive because it found a way to resist the antibiotic. If even one bacterium becomes resistant to antibiotics, it can then multiply and replace all the bacteria that were killed off. That means that exposure to antibiotics provides selective pressure making the surviving bacteria more likely to be resistant. Bacteria can also become resistant through mutation of their genetic material.

Fact #4 – Our sources of meat can have antibiotic residue in them.  I’m not going to discuss the fact that I’ve heard that corporate feedlot feed antibiotics to their livestock to make them grow faster.  I can’t speak to that because I haven’t seen it first hand.  What I can speak to is a residue of giving too many antibiotics by not following the label or giving it too late when it is time to process the animal.

I hear people bragging in the grocery store line all the time that they got their meat for a really cheap price.  I often ponder at what cost did you get that really cheap meat?  Buying corporate finished meat should leave you pondering how was this animal raised.  Who was the farmer?  What is their farm practices?  Do they regularly use antibiotics?  Am I willing to buy from my local farmer and build a relationship?

In my farm newsletter, I get personal with stories and solutions about health-related issues.  I’ve been there, I understand your dilemma.

I promote people eating nutrient dense foods including beef.  But we must think about all the ways our health is effected by antibiotic resistance.  It suppresses our immune system.

The next time you get sick, question your healthcare practitioner about the over use of antibiotics.  Ask specifically is this a virus or bacteria?  If it is a virus it has to run it’s course not matter what.  Subscribe to my newsletter [mailerlite_form form_id=8].

Get to know your favorite farmer and build a relationship to end the worry about antibiotics in your meat.

Antibiotic resistance is one of the most urgent threats to the public’s health. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria can cause illnesses that were once easily treatable with antibiotics to become untreatable, leading to dangerous infections. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are often more difficult to kill and more expensive to treat. In some cases, the antibiotic-resistant infections can lead to serious disability or even death.

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