As a naturally occurring substance, antibiotics can kill bacteria or inhibit their reproduction.

This was a discovery that changed the course of medicine.

Antibiotics are natural substances built from micro-organisms, such as bacteria and certain types of fungus. In their struggle within their habitat, these micro-organisms use antibiotics as weapons to destroy other micro-organisms. The Scottish researcher, Alexander Fleming, discovered this property at the end of the 1920s and harnessed it for the benefit of human beings. Through his experiments he discovered that antibiotics can also destroy pathogenic bacteria in the human body. He called his discovery penicillin; the first antibiotic that could successfully treat a bacterial infection in humans.

Different antibiotics can have markedly different effects on bacteria. This is largely due to how they have been prepared.

• The bactericidal effect destroys bacteria.
• The bacteriostatic effect inhibits bacterial reproduction so powerfully that our immune system can fight the pathogen by itself. A fundamental distinction is made between narrow-spectrum antibiotics, which are only effective against a few types of bacteria, and broad-spectrum antibiotics, which are effective against many different types of bacteria.

Antibiotics are not harmful to humans as they do not damage human cells. However, they can give rise to a range of side effects. Antibiotics often cause stomach or gut ailments, rashes, and allergic reactions. Many patients complain of diarrhoea. This is because antibiotic drugs fight against the beneficial gut bacteria in our intestinal flora, as well as the pathogenic bacteria that are making us ill. Taking probiotics, during and after treatment with antibiotics, can help to restore our intestinal flora.

If you experience side effects with antibiotics, it is always advisable to consult your doctor or a pharmacist. Antibiotics may interact with other medications. For this reason you should always tell your doctor which other medications you are taking so that they can prescribe the most appropriate course of treatment.