Antibiotics for Respiratory Problems

Once, the arrival of flu or cold guaranteed a prescription for antibiotics, unfortunately, antibiotics work for only bacteria infections, not virus. Many health organizations have strongly encouraged the medical society to restrict the use of antibiotics for respiratory infections, because most of them are caused by viruses, instead of bacteria. That being said, sometimes respiratory infection that starts out as a viral infection will eventually super-infected with bacteria (a secondary bacterial infection on already viral-infected tissues). This is especially true when the virus infection causes blockage of draining passages, for example in the tracts that are used to drain fluid from the middle ear, or the canals that help to drain sinus out from our head when we have a cold. If these passages become clogged, the mucus can accumulate and become badly infected with bacteria.

For most healthy people, doctor should prescribe antibiotics; if respiratory problems last more than 7 or 10 days, if pain grows in the sinus area, if fever symptoms increase, or if mucus is blood-tinged or discolored. When you have underlying health problems, the threshold for prescribed antibiotics is considerably lower.

We have now four types of antibiotics for treating respiratory problems. The choice varies according to the type of infection, if you have an infection the upper part of respiratory tract (the nose and the throat), or the lower part of respiratory tract, for example, the lungs. Additionally, the choice of antibiotics type depends on what bacteria could cause the infection, your basic health condition, and the drug cost.

1. The first type of antibiotics is beta-lactams. These are the earliest form of antibiotics, for example the penicillins, which are still widely used nowadays. Penicillin is often known as narrow-spectrum antibiotics, that is, it’s effective only against a limited number of germs, particularly gram-positive bacteria; like the one that causes pneumococcal pneumonia or strep throat. But after decades, the effectiveness of beta-lactams to combat infections has been modified to cover many more bacteria species.

Unfortunately, bacteria have progressively learned how to beat beta-lactams, a situation that is known as bacterial resistance. Consequently, researchers have now enhanced the original molecules and added extra compounds, allowing them to be as potent as they were first invented. These extra compounds are not actually antibiotics, but may get penicillin and many other beta-lactams to improve their effectiveness when facing ever-smarter bacteria. Augmentin is a common example of enhanced beta-lactams, which blends amoxicillin, a common form of penicilin, with clavulanic acid, to improve the durability of the entire compound. These drugs are highly effective and are usually prescribed in treating bacterial infections at the upper part of respiratory tract. Beta-lactams can be administered by mouth or by injection, but for a common respiratory infection, they are prescribed in liquid or pills. Generally, penicillins are tolerable. However, a significant part of community is allergic to beta-lactams, and in some cases, it is life-threatening. Some broad-spectrum beta-lactams (for example, amphicillin) can cause gastrointestinal disorders, such as diarrhea and nausea, but these are typically mild side effects that shouldn’t cause you to stop using these antibiotics.

2. The second type is closely related to penicillins and known as the cephalosporins, for example Rocephin, Ceclor, and Ceftin. It is basically similar to penicillin. Each cephalosporins generation was developed based on certain needs, latest cephalosporins are used on people with serious or life-threatening illnesses and aren’t used for milder respiratory infection like sinus infection. However, cephalosporins are effective in fighting all kinds of bacteria that infects lower respiratory tract. Some are administered intravenously for hospitalized patients or simply by injection. Cephalosporins cause less allergic reactions than penicillins. However, if you’re already allergic to penicillin, then it’s probably a bad idea to take cephalosporins.

3. The third type antibiotics for treating respiratory problems are macrolides. The basic compound that spawned macrolides family was erythromycin. Two examples of macrolides are Biaxin and Zithromax. They are unrelated to penicillin, so generally there would be no allergic cross-reactivity. Macrolides are relatively tolerable, although mild gastrointestinal side effects are possible and can be given intramuscularly and intravenously, but generally they are given orally. The more recent brands such as Zithromax and Biaxin XL are more practical because they can be administered only once a day. Contrary to the beta-lactams, which obliterate the bacteria by preventing the formation of cell wall, the macrolides prevent the bacteria from creating proteins so our natural defenses can still do a part of its job. Macrolides are actually bacteriostatic, instead of bactericidal. They are versatile and are often used for treating bacterial infections like bronchitis.

4. The last type of antibiotics for treating respiratory problems is quinolones. They are usually used to deal with urinary tract infections, however they have changed and latest generations are also highly effective in treating respiratory infections. They can be given by injection and by mouth. For examples are Avelox, Tequin, and Levaquin. Quinolones are used to treat strep throat (for people with penicillin allergy), sinusitis, pneumonia, and bronchitis.