Category Archives: Antibiotics

Bronchitis And Pregnancy: How To Handle or Avoid?

Posted on December 13, 2008 | Leave a comment

Pregnancy is a delicate time for mother and the unborn child, and it is important to avoid getting sick to the extent possible.

Of course things like common cold etc keep happening, but its the bigger things you have to guard against.

Is it true that pregnancy tend to contract bronchitis?

Yes, it is likely for pregnant women to get bronchitis, because during pregnancy, the uterus expands to provide more room for the growing baby.  However, this causes other organs, such as the lungs, to be compressed/pressured.  This often leads to more sinus infections in pregnant women—and sinus infections can lead to bronchitis.

  • The simultaneous occurrence of bronchitis and pregnancy often inhibits the woman’s ability to breathe, which is dangerous for the baby’s health and development.
  • Usually antibiotics or drugs would be the quick fix for this situation.  However, pregnant women must be careful about which drugs they take, because these too can damage the baby’s health.
  • Anytime a pregnant woman is considering taking medicine of any kind, she needs to work very closely with her doctor to determine what is best for her health.

How To Avoid Bronchitis During Pregnancy? 

Here are some steps to take. First of all, women who are pregnant should avoid being around people with colds or bronchitis.  This means think twice before getting into crowded metros. Additionally, if a woman is pregnant during the flu season (December through March), then she should get the flu vaccine to protect herself from serious cases of pneumonia or influenza.

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Posted in Antibiotics, Asthma, Bronchitis, Immune System, Immunity, Lungs, Pregnancy, Respiratory System, Womens Health

Bronchitis and Pneumonia Symptom and Treatment

Posted on September 25, 2008 | 1 Comment

Bronchitis and pneumonia has some of the same symptoms so therefore, many people believe that treating bronchitis and pneumonia will also share some of the same remedies. This theory is true up to a point, but you have to understand first the type of bronchitis and pneumonia that you might have. Those illnesses caused by a virus will be treated differently than those that are caused by bacteria.

The basic difference between bronchitis and pneumonia is that bronchitis is primarily an inflammation of the air passageways called bronchi that lead from the trachea to the lungs. With pneumonia, there is an actual infection of the lungs with the alveoli (air sacs) filling up with fluid or pus, causing breathing problems.

Understanding the Differences in Bronchitis and Pnemonia

  • Both bronchitis and pnemonia can start out innocuous enough from a cold or even an allergy.
  • With bronchitis, you may develop a dry cough in the beginning but within a day or two you could have a moister cough which may bring up clear, yellowish or green phlegm.
  • With pneumonia, the cough comes up from the lungs and may be green or spotted with blood.
  • In terms of fever, you may get a mild one with bronchitis but pneumonia will usually cause you to have a higher fever of about 101?F or higher.
  • In addition, the best way to determine pneumonia is to have a doctor x-ray your chest area. Bronchitis will present clear lungs while pneumonia will show signs of infection.

In treating bronchitis and pneumonia, it is also important to know whether they were caused by a virus or bacteria.

  • Often, the doctor will test the mucus for signs of bacteria as well as conduct a blood test to verify things. When it comes to a bacterial infection, treating bronchitis and pneumonia will usually be through various forms of antibiotics.
  • The blood and phlegm test will help doctors pinpoint what type of bacteria is present so that the proper antibiotic treatment can be chosen.

Treating Bronchitis and Pnemonia when Caused by a Virus

When a virus is the cause of these respiratory illnesses, there is no drug that can help so the infection has to run its course.

With bronchitis, it may take a week or two to clear up the infection and start feeling more normal. However, with pneumonia, the time frame could be several months because lungs take longer to heal.

  • Treating bronchitis and pneumonia caused by viruses usually boils down to the symptoms. You can treat the symptoms and provide yourself some relief while the illness runs its course.
  • Some remedies that can be used when treating bronchitis and pneumonia include breathing in steam several times a day either through a shower or vaporizer and drinking plenty of fluids like water, juice and soup which work to thin the mucus so that it can be expelled easier.
  • Oxygen treatments may be necessary for viral pneumonia sufferers when breathing becomes labored or difficult.

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Posted in Allergies, Antibiotics, Asthma, Breathing Problems, Bronchitis, Lungs, Mens Health, Respiratory System, Womens Health

You Can Get Pregnant While on the Pill

Posted on September 7, 2008 | Leave a comment

Q: Can You Get Pregnant While on the Pill?

Yes, you can get pregnant while on the pill. There are many women who have never missed and taken the pill diligently at the same time every day. So when you find out that you are pregnant, it can be a shock.

The fact is that pill can be only 98%-99% efective if taken correctly. So there is still always a chance.

Q: But what could be the reasons?

  • Antibiotics can make the pill less effective.
  • Pain medications can also neutralize the effect of the pill.
  • And there are a few woman with two (2) uterus, which can make it difficult for the pill to act.

And of course, if you miss the pill even for 1-2 days, its risky. One colleague got pregnant while on the pill, but she had missed two days and that could have been the reason.

So please remember that there is 1-2% chance of getting pregnant while on the pill.

If you just can’t afford to be pregnant for any reason, then you must to complement the pill with other birth control methods.

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Posted in Antibiotics, FAQ, Health Research, Hormones, OTC Medications, Pain Relief, Reproductive System, Womens Health

Drug Treatment Options for Acute Bronchitis

Posted on January 24, 2008 | Leave a comment

Acute bronchitis is the inflammation of the bronchial tubes that lead from the trachea to the lungs. Infection is the typical reason that acute bronchitis occurs and the illness often follows a cold or even the flu.

A drug treatment of acute bronchitis may not work if the infection was caused by something viral. In this instance, the only thing you can do is alleviate the symptoms and make yourself comfortable while the virus-caused acute bronchitis runs its course.

The only way to determine whether this respiratory illness was caused by bacteria is for the doctor to run a blood test or even test some of the phlegm that was coughed up.

Drug Treatment of Acute Bronchitis

If indeed your bronchitis was caused by bacteria, there are a few options in regards to your drug treatment of acute bronchitis.

For children, milder antibiotics such as amoxicillin and zithromax are prescribed by the doctor. This drug treatment of acute bronchitis in kids is gentler to the stomach than heartier antibiotics that are prescribed to adults.

For the adults, tetracycline, biaxin, augmentin and erythromycin are among the antibiotic types that are typical in drug treatment of acute bronchitis.

It all depends on the causative bacteria as to which antibiotic in particular is prescribed by the doctor. In some instances, a hearty strain of bacteria may be taking up residence in your bronchial tubes and therefore requires a stronger antibiotic. When this situation occurs, the drug treatment of acute bronchitis is gemiflaoxacin, a drug that targets antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

For both children and adults, decongestants may be prescribed to speed up the process of loosening up mucus for expulsion.

Another drug treatment of acute bronchitis is the prescription of bronchodilators. This family of drugs is often in the form of an inhaler and works much like medications for asthma – they help open the constricted, swollen airways going to the lungs.

Other Treatment Options

Of course, non-drug treatments exist for acute bronchitis as well. These treatments include the use of a vaporizer to breath in steam which helps loosen swollen bronchial tubes. You might try adding eucalyptus, lavender or orange essential oil to the vaporizer as these do help in promoting easier breathing.

Many non-alcoholic and decaffeinated drinks and soups are also on the non-drug treatment of acute bronchitis. The fluids help loosen the mucus so that you can expel it from your body.

In all, there are a variety of treatment options to try and only your doctor can help you with a drug treatment for acute bronchitis caused by bacteria.

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Posted in Antibiotics, Bacterial Infections, Breathing Problems, Bronchitis, Common Cold, Cough, Lungs, OTC Medications, Respiratory System, Viral Infections

How To Treat Infant Yeast Infection?

Posted on November 18, 2007 | Leave a comment

Q: Can infants also get yeast infection?

A; Yes, any baby can get an infant yeast infection which commonly occurs in the moist diaper area. An infant yeast infection will typically start out like a diaper rash, but it won’t go away and it won’t heal like a diaper rash. Babies can also get a condition known as thrush which is a yeast infection of the mouth. With this condition the cheeks, gums and tongue will develop white patches. You should take a baby to the doctor to have an infant yeast infection properly diagnosed especially if you haven’t dealt with an infection of this kind before.

A baby with an infant yeast infection will be a baby in distress which can be difficult for parents to deal with. Delivery can spread an infant yeast infection such as a mother with a yeast infection or during breastfeeding if the mother also has a yeast infection.

Although an oral yeast infection can develop in a baby even when there is no yeast infection present.

An infant yeast infection can be experienced by both sexes. You will often think it is a diaper rash, but it won’t go away after the typical one or two day period of diaper rash. Bacteria grows in warm, moist areas on both babies and adults. This is why women have extra concern in their vaginal areas although if a baby isn’t attended to then the perfect environment for the bacteria can develop.

Also a baby on antibiotics is more susceptible since the medication will kill the healthy bacteria that help to keep down an infant yeast infection.

An infant yeast infection can easily involve both the mouth and the diaper area since it typically spreads through a babies digestive tract. Take a good look at your babies diaper rash and try to determine if there are a lot of pus-filled bumps or if they are forming a pattern. Often typical treatments for diaper rash won’t work and it won’t disappear on its own after awhile.

Q: When Should You Go To The Doctor?

A: If you are a first time parent you will likely be very concerned and you will probably want to take the baby to the doctor right away to look at the rash. If the same child has a recurrent problem of yeast infections then perhaps your doctor can help with some suggestions on how you can prevent an infant yeast infection. For babies on antibiotics the condition may be around for the course of the medical treatment. Although the best treatment a parent can do is to keep the diaper area as dry as possible and don’t fasten diapers too fast, be sure to leave some area for air circulation.

Q: Any OTC Medications? 

Yeastrol™ is a homeopathic product that works like nothing else on the market today. Experts in homeopathic treatments have combined 12 ingredients to fight not just the itching “but multiple symptoms of yeast infection” from the inside out! And Yeastrol gets into your system quickly, with just two simple sprays under the tongue, three times a day. And you get 2 bottles free.

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Posted in Antibiotics, Childcare, Infections, Natural Remedies, Skin, Yeast Infestions