Are you ready for a world without antibiotics?

[Rakkana]

Considering it's not going to be a wide issue until a couple of generations, by then there will be something to combat this, so I'm not overly worried.

Agreed. By then, we will have nano-robots to destroy them in our blood stream.

Pfft. Copy cat.

 

[Kollega]

This is pretty scary stuff. But without the Cold War, we would be so far ahead! It's a little known fact that those pesky Ruskies were working on developing new bacteria to fight current. So instead of using antibiotics, itn would actually just be infecting a person with a new illness that has been geneticaly 'bred' to fight off this new disease. Yeah, all research into this was destroyed because they didn't want the Americans to find it and steal it from them, therefore gaining an advantage over them.

In Soviet Russia, bacteria heals you!

I was also thinking about these. Bacteriophages, they're called. With the recent advances in bioengineering, i can even see the possibility of creating special bacteria from scratch to do our bidding! MWAHAHAHAHA!

Then, there are always nanobots.

 

[Ham_authority95]

I don't use Antibiotics often, and when i do, it's usually just for the common cold.

Stay healthy, my friends...

 

[A Raging Emo]

I don't use Antibiotics often, and when i do, it's usually just for the common cold.

You do realise that the common cold (acute viral nasopharyngitis) as it states in the name is a virus, antibiotics don't do anything for it. This is half the problem, people taking antibiotics for things they don't do anything for :/

I do realise, yes. Regardless, it's more the thought of it working for you than anything else; the Placebo Effect, really.

I guess I see your point there but you'd be a lot better off with antihistamines or decongestants, they'll actually help with the symptoms and you're still taking something that gives the thought of working for you. To be honest even paracetamol would be better, there's no antibiotics in that either

Good point.

 

[Jedamethis]

I'm hoping we make super micro robots in time. We can use them to fight the bacteria! Until they also turn on us.

Ah, but then we make even more powerful micro robots!

And down that road, madness lies....

Well-trodden road as well...

 

[Zacharine]

Having been saved twice from death by antibiotics (both were cases of Erysipelas, or acute dermal/subdermal streptococcus bacterial infection), I can really only just say taht a world without functional anti-bacterial medicine is a terrible one indeed. Frankly, almost all advances to life expectance made during the last 200 years would be undone.

And that makes me sad.

 

[ryai458]

No not at all, by the time its a problem I will be dead so what do I care?

 

[Diligent]

We've known about this for years and years now, and it's still scary to see how much antibiotics are abused.
My doctor is a pretty bad offender.
Got acne? Antibiotics!
Got a cold? Antibiotics!
Got a sore throat/flu? Antibiotics!
Got a migraine? Yeah, you get the picture. He's a terrible doctor.
I have a feeling if he hands out antibiotics like they're candy, he can't be the only doctor doing it, and the short-sightedness of it all really makes me sick.
So sick, I think maybe I should take some antibiotics.

 

[tofulove]

I don't use Antibiotics often, and when i do, it's usually just for the common cold.

You do realise that the common cold (acute viral nasopharyngitis) as it states in the name is a virus, antibiotics don't do anything for it. This is half the problem, people taking antibiotics for things they don't do anything for :/

not true not true at all, the common cold can lead to sinus infections bronchitis or pneumonia, so you must load your self with antibiotics so it wont happen, but pray it works, for if it does not the infection that takes root wont be leaving any time soon.

 

[Terminate421]

What we need is tylenol and vaccines. And painkillers. Other than that, I really don't know.

 

[verindae]

I'm doing my part for this. I never take antibiotics. I've yet to face something that my immune system can't just deal with itself. So I'm going to carry on this way until I get a serious illness that requires them. So my body will have been building up it's own stock of antibodies that can help the antibi's. If everyone thought like this there would be no super-bugs and we wouldn't be wasting perfectly good medicine on common colds...... That's a virus.... Antibiotics don't even effect those.

It's pretty scary really. To think I could catch some super strain and end up unable to combat it because idiots drink antibiotics like potions. It's more the doctors faults for prescribing them. They know what they're doing yet they keep doling them out any way.

I'm with ya there, I haven't had the need for antibiotics since I was about 5 (25 now) I let my own immune system do the work which has the benefit of building your bodies natural resistance to these things. If you're worried about bacteria simple good hygiene is the way to go, but taking that too far has it's downsides as well, have to be exposed to something in the first place to build a resistance to it, there is such a thing as too hygienic

The problem with the doctors is they've been allowed to dole them out like M&M's because at the end of the day, in most places at least, dishing out drugs = profit, whereas saying go home it's just the sniffles doesn't.

 

[DarkRyter]

My immune system is a collection of bears with chainsaws instead of white blood cells.

Needless to say, it's rather effective.

 

[verindae]

I don't use Antibiotics often, and when i do, it's usually just for the common cold.

You do realise that the common cold (acute viral nasopharyngitis) as it states in the name is a virus, antibiotics don't do anything for it. This is half the problem, people taking antibiotics for things they don't do anything for :/

not true not true at all, the common cold can lead to sinus infections bronchitis or pneumonia, so you must load your self with antibiotics so it wont happen, but pray it works, for if it does not the infection that takes root wont be leaving any time soon.

You do realise that the chances of a cold turning to some sort of chronic respiratory infection aren't high enough, especially amongst the healthy majority, to warrant loading up on antibiotics. Most colds last for about a week or so and are gone, no troubles. It's a much saner approach to treat an infection if it occurs and not load up on drugs for something that probably won't happen.

That's not to say there aren't cases where people with pre-existing respiratory problems should be given some, in some cases that's a good idea, but for the most part it's just daft.

 

[Je Suis Ubermonkey]

The good news is it'll solve the whole growing world population issue.

That's all I got.

 

[Cynical skeptic]

It kinda soft peddles an important point.

Its because you can find the word "antibacterial" repeated a million times in any supermarket and antibiotics were being prescribed for literally every doctor's visit for a string of 50 years that bacteria developed resistance to all forms of treatment.

I mean, the whole "bathing in the holy waters of the Ganges" was just a petri dish for new and interesting infections, but it wasn't until newage started up that antibacterial soap hit that fetid hole.

Theres also the point that bacteria developed that resistance by random trial and error. Pharmaceutical companies acting like little girls because prolonging the viability of "modern" medicine might cost a few bucks doesn't exactly engender sympathy.

So I'm going to carry on this way until I get a serious illness that requires them. So my body will have been building up it's own stock of antibodies that can help the antibi's.

Your immune system does not work that way. You only develop a resistance to what you have encountered. Without antibiotics a new infection will literally kill you faster than you can say "amoxicillin pls."

 

[hannan4mitch]

Looks like that TV show The Colony
Surviving in a post-viral outbreak apocalypse.
Better start stockpiling (I've got 10 years, it's enough... I hope...)

 

[tofulove]

I don't use Antibiotics often, and when i do, it's usually just for the common cold.

You do realise that the common cold (acute viral nasopharyngitis) as it states in the name is a virus, antibiotics don't do anything for it. This is half the problem, people taking antibiotics for things they don't do anything for :/

not true not true at all, the common cold can lead to sinus infections bronchitis or pneumonia, so you must load your self with antibiotics so it wont happen, but pray it works, for if it does not the infection that takes root wont be leaving any time soon.

You do realise that the chances of a cold turning to some sort of chronic respiratory infection aren't high enough, especially amongst the healthy majority, to warrant loading up on antibiotics. Most colds last for about a week or so and are gone, no troubles. It's a much saner approach to treat an infection if it occurs and not load up on drugs for something that probably won't happen.

That's not to say there aren't cases where people with pre-existing respiratory problems should be given some, in some cases that's a good idea, but for the most part it's just daft.

sarcasm is hard to tell in text, i was hoping the clear stupidity of my point would make it clear. its sarcasm.

but to clarify, i was being sarcastic to a extent, and even in that case, you could ezly do more damage than the possible damage you might of prevented, your body relies on bacteria, antibiotics kills good with the bad, and if you don't have bad, than your only killing good, and in the long run, killing your self, i have known people who have almost completely killed all there good bacteria in there digestive system from fighting nasty infections, now there digestive system is all f'ed up, and makes there life very unpleasant to say the least.

 

[drdamo]

Finally payback time for screwing up our evolution.