#文章首发挑战赛#
When many people are sick, they will go to the pharmacy on their own, choose some medicines that they think they know, or express their symptoms, and then listen to the advice of the pharmacy staff, and buy the medicine directly home, and "amoxicillin" is one of the medicines that many people always keep at home. The reason for this is that this drug has a good effect on the treatment of inflammation.
However, as the saying goes, "medicine is poisonous", medicine cannot be eaten indiscriminately, and sometimes the external symptoms are the same, it does not mean that you are suffering from the same disease, and taking medicine indiscriminately may cause harm.
Therefore, from the perspective of ensuring health and safety, "amoxicillin" should be clearly recognized that it is only effective for six diseases!
1. Why does amoxicillin kill people?
Uncle Li's granddaughter, Lily, began to show symptoms of cough 2 weeks ago. Uncle Li gave her self-medication, but her symptoms did not improve. Worried about his granddaughter's health, Uncle Li sent Lily to the hospital.
Through the doctor's examination, Xiaoli's liver function has exceeded the normal value by 20 times, indicating that her liver has been severely damaged.
Through detailed questioning, the doctor learned that during Xiaoli's illness, Uncle Li mistakenly gave her amoxicillin, which is the main cause of drug-induced liver damage.
Fortunately, the doctor detected the problem in time and immediately took detoxification, anti-inflammatory, and hepatoprotective treatments.
Why does amoxicillin cause drug-induced liver damage to Lily?
This is because amoxicillin is metabolized in the body to produce metabolites. These metabolites may react inappropriately with structures such as cell membranes, endoplasmic reticulum, and organelles, resulting in disruption of cell membranes and altered permeability. This effect can lead to disturbances in the exchange of substances inside and outside the cell, which can interfere with normal cell function.
The liver is an important metabolic organ and is involved in a variety of metabolic processes in the body, including drug metabolism. When the metabolites of amoxicillin interfere with these metabolic pathways, it may lead to disorders of intracellular energy metabolism, affect the metabolism of glucose, lipids and other substances, and thus affect the normal biological function of the liver.
Metabolites of amoxicillin may also trigger an immune response in the liver. Activation of the immune system may lead to the development of an inflammatory response, causing inflammation and infiltration of liver tissue. This inflammatory response not only directly leads to cell damage, but may also induce the release of a series of inflammatory mediators, exacerbating the degree of liver damage.
Li Ming is a 25-year-old young man. One day, however, Li Ming began to have a runny nose and cough. To alleviate his symptoms, he thought of some medications stored at home, including amoxicillin.
However, after taking the medicine, he felt that he had difficulty breathing, his body temperature rose rapidly, and his face turned red. These abnormal physiological reactions made Li Ming's roommates very worried, and they immediately called the 120 emergency number.
Medical personnel quickly arrived at the scene and gave emergency treatment to Li Ming. After careful examination, the doctor found that Li Ming had an abnormal physical reaction to penicillin allergy. Penicillin is one of the main components of amoxicillin, and Li Ming had a strong allergic reaction to this drug.
Why does Li Ming have a severe amoxicillin allergy?
The occurrence of allergic reactions is a complex process. When the immune system is first exposed to a substance that triggers allergies, such as penicillin, it produces an antibody called immunoglobulin E. These antibodies bind to penicillin to form the immunoglobulin E-penicillin complex.
On the next exposure to penicillin, these immunoglobulin E-penicillin complexes bind to specific cells of the immune system, such as mast cells and basophils. This causes these cells to release large amounts of bioactive substances, including histamine and other inflammatory mediators.
The release of histamine triggers a widespread dilation of blood vessels, causing a sudden drop in blood pressure. Inflammatory mediators released by basophils stimulate airway smooth muscle contraction, resulting in shortness of breath. These inflammatory mediators can also affect the thermoregulatory center, leading to an increase in body temperature and eventually a fever symptom.
Since amoxicillin is so dangerous, what exactly does it treat?
2. Amoxicillin only treats these 6 diseases
Amoxicillin, as a broad-spectrum antibiotic, is favored for its excellent therapeutic efficacy and relatively few side effects. But it treats only these 6 diseases: pharyngitis and tonsillitis, sinusitis, otitis media, pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and skin and soft tissue infections.
1. Pharyngitis and tonsillitis
Pharyngitis and tonsillitis are often caused by gram-positive bacteria, and amoxicillin works by blocking the cell wall synthesis of these bacteria. Its chemical structure has a β-lactam ring that is capable of interfering with the formation of bacterial cell walls, which ultimately leads to bacterial death. This mechanism allows amoxicillin to have a good antimicrobial effect against many bacteria that cause upper respiratory tract infections.
2. Rhinocystitis
In the treatment of sinusitis, amoxicillin has also successfully inhibited the pathogenic bacteria that cause sinus infection through its effect on the bacterial cell wall. The mechanism of action of this antibiotic is highly selective, targeting specific types of bacteria, and thus has achieved remarkable results in the treatment of sinusitis.
3. Otitis media
Otitis media in children is often caused by a bacterial infection, while amoxicillin acts directly on the middle ear by crossing the blood-ear-brain barrier, effectively removing the bacteria that cause the infection. It is able to quickly reduce inflammation in a short period of time, helping small patients to recover quickly.
4. Pneumonia
The role of amoxicillin in the treatment of pneumonia is also remarkable. By interfering with the synthesis of bacterial cell walls, it prevents the growth and reproduction of bacteria, effectively controlling the spread of infection. Its broad-spectrum nature allows it to respond to a wide range of pneumonia-causing bacteria, providing strong therapeutic support for patients.
5. Urethral infection
Amoxicillin also plays a key role in the treatment of urinary tract infections. By reaching a sufficient concentration, it acts directly on bacteria near the urethra to quickly remove the source of infection. The antibiotic activity of amoxicillin has a powerful killing effect on pathogenic bacteria of urinary tract infections.
6. Skin and soft tissue infections
When the skin or soft tissues are damaged, bacteria can easily invade and cause infection. Amoxicillin helps wounds heal faster by inhibiting bacteria at the site of infection. It speeds up the process of wound healing by prompting the immune system to better fight infections.
Amoxicillin's mechanism of action is mainly based on its effect on the bacterial cell wall, and through this unique biological property, it has shown excellent efficacy in the treatment of a variety of infectious diseases. However, when using amoxicillin, patients should still use it rationally according to the doctor's advice to avoid drug resistance and unwanted side effects.
3. How to judge whether you can use amoxicillin
The first step is to figure out what is wrong with you. Is it a sore throat? Or is it a headache? Or maybe it's a cold from a friend?
Amoxicillin mainly deals with bacterial infections and is not effective against viral infections. Colds and flu are mostly caused by viruses, and at this time amoxicillin seems to be a bit "uninvited". So if your symptoms are fever, sneezing, flu-like symptoms, or gastrointestinal upset, it is recommended that you find other solutions.
Bacterial infections are usually accompanied by some obvious symptoms, such as purulent discharge, high fever, obvious inflammation, etc. If you're feeling a sore throat, fever, and possibly thick phlegm, amoxicillin may come in handy.
However, if you have ever had an allergic reaction to amoxicillin or other β-lactam antibiotics, or have abnormal liver function, or if you are taking antibiotics, it is best to consult your doctor first to see if you can continue to take amoxicillin.
Not every minor ailment requires the use of a cannon. Sometimes, our immune system also needs some time to repair itself. If your symptoms aren't very severe or get better after a day or two, maybe you can wait a little longer to give your body a chance to heal itself.
summary
In life, health awareness and the concept of correct medication are crucial. Not all minor ailments and pains require strong antibiotics, and sometimes it may be wiser to give the immune system some time to heal itself. Maintaining a good Xi habits, regular work and rest, and moderate exercise are effective ways to prevent diseases.