Are antibiotics really helpful? | Teen Ink

Are antibiotics really helpful?

April 16, 2013
By Makala SILVER, Three Rivers, Michigan
Makala SILVER, Three Rivers, Michigan
7 articles 0 photos 22 comments

Favorite Quote:
Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.<br /> --Albert Einstein


Are antibiotics really helpful? Do they really help get rid of germs? Are we better off without them? This may come as a surprise to some of you but we are better of without using a lot of antibiotics. On average the normal person washes their hands somewhere around 10 times a day and uses hand sanitizers about 5-7 times during the day. The common hand soap claims to kill at least 99.9% of germs, the common hand sanitizer 99.99%, and common Clorox (non-bleach) disinfecting wipes 99.9% of germs in just 30 seconds. Most people think "cool lets use these all the time, so we live in a germ- free environment". They don't know however that the overuse of these products harms the body and that most of those products don't live up to that percentage.

Most of these products that claim to kill most all of the germs on your hands do not. These products are tested on inanimate surfaces and therefore the percentage of germs that they claim to kill does not apply to your hands but non- living surfaces. Unlike these non- living surfaces on your hands bacteria is constantly reproducing. So even if it did kill 99.9% (or 99.99%) of germs within minutes you already have all those germs back. Plus non- antibiotic soaps kill off about as much as antibiotic soaps.

Also by using these products too much you can actually harm your body. One way is that over using those products kill off your body's Flora (which is you body's natural bacteria that help protect against invasions of more harmful bacteria). Also, the germs that do survive will eventually become immune to these antibiotics. Therefore you end up making an invincible super bacteria instead of stopping it. This in turn spreads diseases that are incurable and fatal.

So do yourself and the world a favor and educate others so that we stop making these unstoppable bacteria. I don't believe that passing laws will help. Mainly because by the time the law gets passed it may be to late. Also because a lot of people don't follow laws. I mean there are still people speeding, drinking and smoking underage, and people selling or doing illegal drugs and there are laws against that. The best way to stop this catastrophe is to educate others.


The author's comments:
I just want to educate the people so that they can help educate others.

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