Antibiotics and Common Illnesses

When you're sick, antibiotics are not always the answer. In fact, taking antibiotics when you don't need them can be harmful. This article answers some common questions about when antibiotics are helpful and when they are not.

Bacteria vs. Viruses

There are two main types of organisms that cause infections: viruses and bacteria. Illnesses caused by viruses (especially in the nose and throat) are more common than illnesses caused by bacteria. Common illnesses caused by viruses are colds, most sore throats, and most coughs.
Antibiotics are strong medicines that treat bacterial infections. Antibiotics won't treat viral infections because they can't kill viruses. You'll get better when the viral infection has run its course.
Common illnesses caused by bacteria are urinary tract infections, strep throat, and some pneumonia. Antibiotics can treat bacterial infections by killing the bacteria that causes them.

Problems With Antibiotic Use

Bacteria can become stronger than antibiotics — these bacteria are known as resistant bacteria. This makes it harder for the medicine to kill the bacteria and treat the infection.
The increase in resistant bacteria is caused when people:

• Don't take antibiotics as directed (such as not finishing the entire prescription given by the doctor).
• Use antibiotics when they are not needed.
• Use antibiotics too often.

Note: If you are taking any other medicine, either prescription or over-the-counter, talk to your doctor or pharmacist to make sure that the combination isn't a problem.

When to Use Antibiotics

When to use antibiotics depends on your specific health problem. Your doctor can best answer this question. Here are a few examples.
Ear pain: Both viruses and bacteria can cause ear pain. If you have severe ear pain or ear pain that continues for more than 48 to 72 hours, schedule an appointment with your doctor. Your doctor can tell if you have a bacterial infection and give you a prescription for antibiotics.
Sinus infections: If you have a long-lasting or severe sinus infection, your doctor might decide to start you on antibiotics. If you have thick or green mucus, you probably don't have a sinus infection.
Cough or bronchitis: Viruses usually cause bronchitis and coughs, and antibiotics won't help you get better. The Consulting Nurse Service will have ideas about what you can do to feel more comfortable while the viral infection runs its course.
Sore throat: Viruses are the cause of most sore throats and can't be treated with antibiotics. However, strep throat is caused by bacteria and antibiotics can help. In most cases, your doctor will take a throat swab to test for strep before prescribing an antibiotic for a sore throat.
Colds and flu: Viruses cause colds and flu. These illnesses can last for two weeks or more. Antibiotics have no effect on colds or flu. The Consulting Nurse Service will have ideas about what you can do to feel more comfortable while the viral infection runs its course.

Where to buy antibiotics?
Buy antibiotics online at http://www.halfpricegear.com Discover more about the world of strength and beauty with HalfPriceGear.com

Epidural Steroid Injections

The most commonly performed injection is an epidural steroid injection. In this approach, a steroid is injected directly around the dura, the sac around the nerve roots that contains cerebrospinal fluid (the fluid that the nerve roots are bathed in). Prior to the injection, the skin is anesthetized by using a small needle to numb the area in the low back (a local anesthetic).

Epidural Injections Help Reduce Inflammation
Injecting around the dura sac with steroid can markedly decrease inflammation associated with common conditions such as spinal stenosis, disc herniation or degenerative disc disease. It is thought that there is also a flushing effect from the injection that helps remove or "flush out" inflammatory proteins from around structures that may cause pain.

Epidural Steroid Injection Success Rates
An epidural steroid injection is generally successful in relieving lower back pain for approximately 50% of patients. While the effects of the injection tend to be temporary (one week to one year), an epidural can be very beneficial in providing relief for patients during an episode of severe back pain and allows patients to progress in their rehabilitation.

Frequency for Epidural Steroid Injections
There is no definitive research to dictate the frequency of the epidural steroid injections; however, a limit of three injections per year is generally considered reasonable. There is also no general consensus in the medical community as to whether or not a series of three injections need always be performed. If one or two injections resolve the patient’s low back pain, some physicians prefer to save the one or two additional injections for any potential recurrent low back pain.

Generally, there are few risks associated with epidural injections. The risks are remote and include:

Who Should Avoid Epidural Injections

Epidural steroid injections should not be performed on patients whose pain is from a tumor or infection, and if suspected, an MRI scan should be done prior to the injection to rule out these conditions.

Anabolic steroids help people with HIV put on weight and muscle mass

People with HIV who are treated with anabolic steroids to prevent AIDS wasting may realize modest gains in weight and muscle mass, a new review shows.

The review covered 13 studies of adults age 24 to 42 with HIV, 294 of whom received anabolic steroids for at least six weeks and 238 of whom received placebo. The average weight increase in those taking anabolic steroids was nearly three pounds.

“The magnitude of weight gain observed may be considered clinically relevant,” said lead author Karen Johns, a medical assessment officer from the agency Health Canada. “One hopes there would be greater weight gain with the long-term use of anabolic steroids; however, this has not been proven to date in clinical trials.”

The review appears in the most recent issue of The Cochrane Library, a publication of The Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates medical research. Systematic reviews draw evidence-based conclusions about medical practice after considering both the content and quality of existing medical trials on a topic.

AIDS wasting, which leads to significant weight loss in people with HIV, causes severe loss of weight and muscle and can lead to muscle weakness, organ failure and shortened lifespan. Researchers have long sought to reverse this common, destructive effect of HIV with mixed success.

The wasting stems from loss of the body’s ability to grow muscle and from low levels of testosterone.

Anabolic steroids are synthetic substances similar to the male sex hormone testosterone that promote growth of skeletal muscle and the development of male sexual characteristics.

Although most recently in the news for their misuse by professional athletes, anabolic steroids have legitimate medical application for men with low testosterone and people with certain types of anemia. Two anabolic steroids available in the United States, nandrolone decanoate and oxandrolone, have been used to help increase weight and muscle mass in small studies of people with wasting.

Conversely, anabolic steroid use has been associated with increased rates of HIV in those who share needles or use nonsterile needles when they inject steroids.

In the review studies, anabolic steroids were administered to patients either orally or by injection. The main side effects were mild and included abnormal liver function tests; acne; mild increase in body hair; breast tenderness; increased libido, aggressiveness and irritability; and mood swings — all common side effect of anabolic steroid use.

“The risks and side effects of taking anabolic steroids long-term are certainly of concern,” Johns said. “We were unable to assess these risks in our review due to the short duration of treatment in the studies.”

Wayne Dodge, M.D., the HIV/AIDS program director at the Group Health Cooperative in Seattle, suggests that clinicians should obtain blood testosterone levels, “if an HIV-infected individual has had significant weight loss, significant fatigue or muscle wasting, and particularly if associated with a significant decrease in libido and erections. If [testosterone] is in the low or low-normal range then a trial of [steroids] could be tried. The individual and the clinician should decide what result would constitute a successful trial: weight gain of 15 pounds, a 30 percent improvement in sense of well-being [or] a successful erection once a week.”

The reviews authors conclude that further studies are needed to determine if increase in weight leads to improved physical functioning and quality of life, and ultimately increased survival, as well as the potential for serious side effects, especially with prolonged use. 

Anabolic steroids and HIV

Anabolic steroids are artificial (synthetic) versions of the male hormone testosterone that help build muscle. They also enhance masculine characteristics.

Because they can help the body to form lean muscle, they are sometimes used to treat wasting and weight loss caused by HIV, and doctors sometimes prescribe them to people experiencing fat loss from the limbs because of lipodystrophy. Testosterone supplements are also used to treat low testosterone levels which can develop in people with HIV due to HIV infection, some other infections, anti-HIV drugs and other medicines.

Anabolic steroids are also widely used by body builders and by many people who weight-train at the gym.

Anabolic steroid treatment in people with HIV
The anabolic steroids have been studied as a treatment for wasting caused by HIV, and have been shown to be safe and effective, helping the formation of lean muscle mass. To be most effective, anabolic steroid treatment should be combined with an exercise programme of resistance (weight) training.

Studies have mostly been restricted to men because of concerns about the side-effects of steroid treatment for women.

Anabolic steroids can increase levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and other side-effects, so their use should be closely monitored particularly if you are taking a protease inhibitor or have any risk factors for heart disease.

Testosterone replacement therapy in people with HIV
It is estimated that as many as 40% of HIV-positive men who are ill because of HIV have low levels of testosterone (hypogonadism). Low testosterone can result in decreased appetite, depression, poor metabolism of food, and sexual problems, including the inability to obtain and maintain an erection.

A blood test can show if you have low levels of testosterone and your doctor may prescribe either a short course of oral testosterone replacement therapy, testosterone patches, or testosterone gel.

Although testosterone is usually considered to be the male sexual hormone, it also occurs naturally in women. Testosterone patches have been examined as a treatment for wasting caused by HIV in women. It was found that weight and quality of life improved for some of the women, and the development of male characteristics was not reported.

Side-effects from testosterone replacement therapy are rare, but can include the shutting down of natural testosterone production, shrinking of the testicles, hair loss, increased sexual desire, and aggression. In women, male characteristics, such as the deepening of the voice, and facial hair may develop.

Anabolic steroid use for non-medical purposes
Anabolic steroids are often used by people who weight train to improve the effects of training and for aesthetic reasons. They are usually used in four-week cycles, followed by a period off 'treatment'.

The use of anabolic steroids in this way is rarely medically supervised, and this may involve health risks.

Health risks of anabolic steroid use
Anabolic steroids, and testosterone, can damage the liver, and severe liver problems including liver fibrosis, cirrhosis and cancer have been seen in long-term users of anabolic steroids. If you are being prescribed them by your doctor, your liver function will be closely monitored.

Acne, male pattern baldness, sexual dysfunction, shrinking of the testicles, and the shutting down of natural production of testosterone can also be caused by anabolic steroids. Aggression, mood disturbances, stomach pain, an enlarged prostate and water retention can also develop as a consequence of steroid use. Breast enlargement in men, and the development of male characteristics in women have also been observed.

It you are buying steroids on the 'black' market it’s unlikely that you can verify if they are genuine or be certain of their quality. Counterfeit steroids are common and may contain impurities that cause infections or abscesses.

When used in a non-medical context, anabolic steroids are often injected. Sharing needles to inject steroids involves the same health risks as sharing needles to inject recreational drugs, including HIV transmission, and infection with hepatitis C virus and hepatitis B virus.

Legal status of anabolic steroids
Anabolic steroids are a prescription-only medicine. Although possession of anabolic steroids is not illegal, selling them is and can involve a fine and even a prison sentence.

If you take part in any form of competitive sport, then it’s likely that the use of anabolic steroids will be banned, even if you are taking them for legitimate medical reasons.