Dr. Bhagya Shree

Antibiotics are taken to treat a host of bacterial infections, from fever to fungal infections, doctors prescribe antibiotics to deal with the symptoms. Usually, a single course of antibiotics must be taken for the cold or the flu to completely heal. Antibiotics only treat bacterial infections; they do not do anything for viral infections.

1. Antibiotics and Good Bacteria
Antibiotics kill bacteria. Antibiotics do not discriminate between good bacteria and their bad peers. Thus, they end up killing the good bacteria as well. The microbiomes in the gut are the good bacteria in your body that aid in digestion. Certain antibiotics can change the entire microbial diversity in the gut and this change can last for a year. Clindamycin, another antibiotic, can kill butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid produced by microbes. In the gut, the butyrate prevents carcinogenesis, inflammation and oxidative stress.

2. Resistance to Bacteria
Like every living organism, bacteria too evolve and adapt to the surroundings. They mutate and respond to the changes in the environment thus, leading to bacterial resistance. Some bacteria mutate and survive the antibiotic treatments. These bacteria reproduce and the resistance strain gets passed on to the next generation which, in turn, makes the new bacteria desensitised to antibiotics. When you get infected again-

1. The infection lasts longer, thus the disease may become serious
2. There are more complications which tend to further increase every single time you are prescribed a new course of antibiotics
3. If the infection lasts longer, then the chances of you infecting others also become higher
4. Recovery takes longer

However, there are a few other things to be considered as well:

Taking antibiotics if you have a viral infection is not a smart thing to do. The antibiotics do nothing to kill the virus. However, if your bacterial infection has been plaguing you since a long time, doctors generally prescribe antibiotics every time. This is because, no matter what their downsides are, antibiotics do help you in recovering from various bacterial complications, at times, permanently.

With the recent number of breast cancer cases on the rise, it is important that we should get the examination done on a regular basis as a preventive measure. Even if someone is suffering from it, it is important that we should make an effort and learn about.

If you have breast cancer then a surgery will be part of your treatment. Based on the condition, surgery will be carried out due to any of the following reasons:
1. To remove the cancerous tissues from the breast
2. To reconstruct the breast once the cancer is removed
3. To check whether the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes below the arm
4. To treat symptoms of cancer that has progressed to an advanced stage

Breast cancer surgery may be classified into two types
1. Mastectomy: Mastectomy involves removing the entire breast; tissues in the adjoining region may also be removed. A double mastectomy is a procedure where both the breasts are removed.
2. Breast-conserving surgery: In this surgery, only parts of the breast affected by cancer are removed. The area of the breast that is to be removed will depend on the severity of the cancer. Some healthy tissues may also be removed in this surgery.

Usually, if a woman is in the initial stages of cancer then she may opt for the latter as it entails removing parts of the breast. They may also undergo radiation therapy along with these surgeries.
For checking if the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes below the arm, the lymph nodes are removed from the body. Once they are removed, they are studied under a microscope to check if it has spread, if yes then the extent of their damage. This procedure is carried out along with the surgery to remove the cancer.

Once the mastectomy procedure is completed, you can opt for a breast reconstruction surgery to rebuild the area. You may opt for this procedure at the time of breast cancer removal or at a later stage. If you are considering breast reconstruction surgery then you should discuss with a surgeon.

Surgery is sometimes not used to treat cancer, but in slowing the progression of cancer or even reducing its symptoms.It is important you talk to your surgeon before the procedure to understand the goal of the surgery.