What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger:
The Overuse of Antibiotics and Antibacterial Products
by Christina Jones
MRSA is an acronym for Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus. But what does this mean? When you break it down, you can see. Starting from the second half of the name, Staphylococcus aureus (or S. aureus) is the scientific name (Genus, species) for a spherical shaped bacteria that is prevalent everywhere, on everyone’s body. There is an extremely good article at the Textbook of Bacteriology website that explains the biological characteristics of the bacteria. Methicillin is “a semi synthetic penicillin-related antibiotic, also known as Staphcillin, that once was effective against staphylococci (staph) resistant to penicillin because they produce the enzyme penicillinase (quoted from MedicineNet.com).” Resistant means “Having the capacity to withstand: immune, impervious, insusceptible, proof, resistive, unsusceptible (quoted from Answers.com).” MedicineNet.com goes on to explain Methicillin Resistance: “Rarely used now, Methicillin has been largely superseded by Vancomycin. Over the past 50 years, staph bacteria have become resistant to various antibiotics, including the commonly used penicillin-related antibiotics, including Methicillin. These resistant bacteria are called Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.”
Ok, so what does all of this technical terminology really mean? Antibiotic resistance of any sort boils down to the old saying, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” I had it explained to me by my Aunt Sharon, who has been an RN nearly her whole life, when my husband was sick. When you clean your house, and you use antibacterial products, Lysol, for instance, there is inevitably some bacteria left behind. For instance, if you are wiping down your kitchen, it is impossible to keep every single bacteria on your dishcloth, and off of your countertop. When you are finished, and the kitchen looks clean, you have left behind some bacteria, in the little swipe of water that is left on the countertop, or the side of the cabinet that you touched the dishcloth with as you were taking the cloth back to the sink, or the bacteria that you just pushed to the back of the counter, but did not remove. Of that bacteria, some are bound to have survived the Lysol. Maybe you missed a spot, or maybe the bacteria were just lightly touched by the Lysol. This bacteria is now microscopically laughing at you, saying “Ha ha! You missed me!” This bacteria is now a little tougher, because it survived Lysol, and maybe the next night, when you clean your kitchen again, the same thing happens, except maybe you got him good with the Lysol, and he still survived it. This bacteria can now be considered Lysol-resistant.
Take that example and think about it. Think about washing your hands and body, using antibacterial soap. When you wash your hands after using the bathroom, you grab a quick squirt of antibacterial soap, haphazardly rub it on your hands, foam it up a little, rinse it off, and then you are finished. Most of us who have been through and are familiar with MRSA use a lot better technique than this now, but the rest of the world pretty much does it just like that. Can you imagine what happens to the bacteria on your hands now? You are left with bacteria that is resistant to your antibacterial soap. Oops. Then you go outside, see your neighbor, and shake hands with him. Oops again, now your neighbor has been introduced to your antibacterial soap-resistant bacteria. My aunt told me that she has never used Lysol, or antibacterial soap in her house. We all cringe at the thought of that now, including me, but there is something very important in there somewhere.
Back when our parents were children, somehow they survived without antibacterial soaps. Our world is full of antibacterial-everything now. Plastic toys are made with antibacterials, and even the grocery stores now have antibacterial wipes when you walk in to get a shopping cart so you can wipe down any bacteria on them. This sounds like a great preventative idea, but can you see where the problems lie? I don’t know where we go from here, really. When you look at this situation, it seems very bleak, it is a never-ending circle, a catch-22.
So this brings us to the bacteria inside of our bodies. We have all heard over and over, so much that we ourselves have become resistant to the advice: Take all of your antibiotics, until the bottle is gone, even if you are feeling better. I know I am guilty of not taking all of my antibiotics in the past. Are you? Probably. I don’t do it anymore though. Using the kitchen example above, you can see what an incomplete course of antibiotics do to the bacteria in your body. What doesn’t kill them, makes them stronger.
Another huge problem in creating antibiotic resistance is with people going to the doctor with a virus, and insisting upon a round of antibiotics. Antibiotics are not going to kill a virus. They never have, and they never will. A virus is a completely different organism than a bacterium. Antibiotics kill bacteria, not virii. A virus can make you very sick, but it must run its course, and then it will leave. Occasionally a virus can cause a secondary bacterial infection, such as an ear infection or a sinus infection, and it is at that point, when your doctor has determined that you have a bacterial infection, that antibiotics are required. I know that when you are sick, or your children are sick, that you have the need to do what you can do to help make yourself or your children better. But please, listen to your doctor, and do not insist that they give you antibiotics. Trust your doctors advice, for the health and well-being of your whole community. And doctors, please, do not let your patients bully you into giving them an antibiotic when you know they do not have a bacterial infection. This is wrong, and only you can stop this from happening.
Downloads:
This is a video that shows actors role playing a visit to the doctor, and talks about antibiotics and viri. They are in Real Player format:
16 responses so far ↓
MRSA Notes » Do Bugs Need Drugs? // Nov 13, 2006 at 8:36 am
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Rebecca Hill // Aug 3, 2007 at 9:41 pm
I continue to get pnuemonia,or broncoitis allmost every month…..The doctors giev me antibiotics…and for the last 2 years this has been going on….Is this okay…and why do I continue to get sick……..? What can I do to get healthy and stay healthy?
MRSA epidemic sweeping the nation? - Nissanclub.com Nissan Enthusiast Forums // Oct 18, 2007 at 4:11 pm
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Jessica Edwards // Nov 9, 2007 at 11:03 am
My four year olds’ teacher just confided in me after my expressed concern for the rising MRSA epidemic and the institutions precautionary measures, that her husband who is a survivor of lung cancer and spent a brief amount of time at the county hospital recently contracted “a staph infection” that turned into pneumonia. Through research of the subject, I know that MRSA is a staph infection and that MRSA can lead to pneumonia in individuals with weakened immune systems. Also individuals with pneumonia can spread the infection through airborne droplets. Chances are she has been exposed through close contact and breathing the same air in the same house let alone the same room and is now a carrier. Should I bring it to the attention of the institutions president? And how can I do so without obviously exposing myself as the “snitch”?
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Dalys Toro // Jan 15, 2008 at 6:28 pm
I would like to know if MRSA can kill you? My nephew is in the hospital right now in ICU fighting this illness… I just wanted to kno what are chances of him passing from this if it started from his neck and has spread to his chest!
beth // Feb 12, 2008 at 3:06 pm
Response to Dalys Toro
A few years ago I was in the hospital with a staph infection which turned MRSA - it doesn’t always start that way. It took two weeks of intense treatment and finally they had to resort to surgery to remove it. A few months before, my younger brother was hospitalized for about a month with an MRSA infection that almost took his leg from the knee down. From the nature of these infections, they CAN be fatal depending on their location.
In high school we had an epidemic among our atheltes. No one died, but many of the kids were hopsitalized and have some massive scars to show. We finally traced it to the carpet and equipment in the weight room - where the bacteria were breeding and spreading from kid to kid.
A family friend, young boy, develpoed a staph infection in his nasal passage - probably one of the most dangerous places and most likely fatal for an MRSA infection because this is a flesh-eating infection - the danger was that it would spread to his brain. They were able to get it under control and he survived.
So, overall, my answer is, yes, it can be fatal, however it most often isn’t. The important thing to remember is that it is flesh-eating, so it depends on what organs are at risk of the infection. From my experience, both with myself and my brother, when the medicines proved completely powerless, they had to resort to surgery.
Robin // Feb 13, 2008 at 10:06 am
Dear Beth,
MRSA is not a flesh-eating virus.
One third of everybody in the world had MRSA on their skin.
As a student as the University of Minnesota researching MRSA people need to understand is that MRSA is on your skin all of the time.
Not only is MRSA on your hands, but its everywhere on your body.
Thus, not being a flesh-eating virus.
Ebola is a flesh-eating virus–not MRSA.
Dan McGrew // Feb 18, 2008 at 10:42 am
In 1995, I wrote a letter to Dial Soap Corp, while I was in nursing school, and asked them for a list of all the bacteria that their soap killed. They sent me a long list of scientific bacterial names that were threatened and possibly killed by thier soap. I posted the list on the board for everyone else to see. I left the note there for future nurses. I have called them since and have not be able to get a new list from them. If you want a list, to see if Staph is on it, called the DIAL corp… they have an 800 number… Hmmmm… my computer has been working great for weeks… now, since I’ve been looking up MRSA for an article I’ve lost my ability to right-click on pages, I can’t open any new pages… guess, I’ll have to re-boot… I sure it’s nothing conspiratorial… like NSA stuff… lol… well, Staph was on the list that they sent to me… but, it didn’t say anything about whether it was a resistant version or not… all of the organisms on the list were, what we used to call, non-pathogenic organisms… aka: they are not able to hurt you under normal circumstances… like staph…
Herbie Gurnackle // Mar 7, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Check out addition resources at this web site on mrsa and other issues.
Dan // Mar 7, 2008 at 7:55 pm
Beth wrote, that MRSA is on almost everyone’s skin, at least 1/3rd of people.
I don’t want to scrap or anything… but I was taught that 100% of people have Staph Aureus on thier skins… However, the resistant strain have a tiny circular piece of protien in them that enables them to produce chemicals that protect thier cell walls/receptor sites from antibiotics.
I believe Beth, I’m just a little intimadated by this little bug that was once absolutely harmless against humans with intact immune systems. Now, not only has it evolved but it’s spreading rather quickly. Hmmm… I’m sure it’s something that we did.
I never had MRSA before. I went to Honduras in 2005. I got a MRSA there. I came back to the US in 2006. I still had the MRSA. I wasn’t certain what it was. I went to the doctor and she told me that it was MRSA. Actually she swabbed it and told me that she would get back to me when the lab results came in. She never called me. I think that the MRSA monster got her. LOL… She was a very petite doctor, barely a snack… LOL…
Gary Rupert // Jul 3, 2008 at 1:16 pm
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JOHN LYNCH // Jul 17, 2008 at 7:55 am
I have mrsa on my left elbow and it is continually ozzing with yellow discharge. I have blood above it that keeps bleeding. My arm is very painful and am feeling very low. My GP has treated me with fluxocillin,metroniadazole which did not work. I am now taking Trimethoprim 200mgs BD and rifampicin [rifadin] 2 twice daily. This is my fourth day and if things dont improve my GP is going to increase the dose. I would welcome any advice. I have had this since the end of May and it is not getting any better.
Justin // Dec 23, 2008 at 8:44 pm
Hi John Lynch; did the Trimethoprim work for MRSA?
Chlorine // Dec 24, 2008 at 7:55 am
After my last post, when I said that I had gotten a MRSA in Honduras and it stayed with me when I got back to the USA. I forgot to mention that I am also an avid bicycle rider. I like to ride 15 to 25 miles every day, if possible, but it usually works out to two or three times a week. Anyway, I sweat a lot. I think that that contributed to my one MRSA multiplying into 3 MRSA sites. All of them where on my legs close to the groin region. At any rate, I finally got tired of them. I have a garden tub. While filling it up with hot water, I poured a gallon of bleach into it. I got in a soaked. It dried my skin out, but all three MRSA sites dried up and died. I also super-chlorinated my swimming pool. It dried my skin out a little, used more lotion, but the MRSA’s have NEVER come back. Cheap but very effective cure. I don’t know if this treatment is for everybody. But, it worked great for me.
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