6 Things You Need To Know About Antibiotics

There’s a lot more to these disease fighters than you think. Here’s the lowdown on how to use them correctly.

- Sasha Gonzales

1 They are only prescribed for microbial infections

Antibiotics are prescribed as a course and are administered topically, orally or intravenously. Dr Wong Wei Mon, deputy medical director of Raffles Medical, says they are used to treat a range of illnesses, including bacterial conjunctivitis, sinusitis, external and middle ear infections, streptococcus throat infection, traveller’s diarrhoea, urinary tract infection, bacterial skin infections and pustular acne. “Antibiotics are a powerful medicine,” says Dr Wong. “They assist the body’s natural defences to fight microbial infections, by killing bacteria or slowing their growth.”

Dr Christina Low, medical director of Lifescan Medical Centre (Paragon branch) adds: “Our immune system is capable of destroying the bacteria, but in instances where the infection becomes too much for the body to fight off on its own, antibiotics can help, thereby allowing our natural defences to take over again.”

2 Use them responsibly