Why We Don’t Finish The Antibiotic Course

When you catch any infection, the doctor prescribes you a dose of antibiotics. And he expects you to finish the overall course.

Antibiotics play a role in eliminating harmful bacteria. What happens if you don't finish the course? Well, some of the bacteria will survive and only a small portion of those microorganisms get eliminated.

What happens then? The survived bacteria will reproduce and trouble you again. On the top of that, they will start developing antibiotic resistance which means that they won't get affected by the tablets you take!

If that happens, antibiotics may fail to solve your problems in the future. That is why you need to complete the course. Now, let us discuss about the common reason why people discontinue the course.

Firstly, some of us aren't aware of the way antibiotics work. Once you understand the action of those pills, you will ensure that you complete the course.

Also, some of us have the habit of going to a medical shop whenever we suffer a minor infection. Over the counter pills aren't the complete course that a doctor can prescribe. This way, we take only a partial dosage breaking the course unknowingly.

Another reason is that the symptoms of the infection will start fading away within the first one or two days of the course. This makes us think that the problem is solved and we discontinue the course. But the problem worsens once you stop the course.

Sometimes, it is due to a busy schedule. When you are busy, you tend to forget to take your tablet on time. This will make you skip the cycle.

Travelling is the next culprit. When you are travelling and don't find the exact pill in the nearest store in a new city, you may skip a day of the course. But this increases the resistance of the bacteria as they get a chance to survive.

Sometimes, you forget the exact time when the tablet is supposed to be taken. In such a case, it is better to consult the doctor to know what to do. Taking two dosages at a time or skipping one dosage are things you should never do without asking the doctor. Any skipped intake must be informed to your doctor.