SaraJ....I truly understand what you are saying. Doctors are, in a large part, responsible for MRSA, VRSA, ORSA because they have doled out high powered anitbiotics for diseases that did not need that type of medication. The bacteria strains learned to thrive on the medications and now we have this mess...along with the lack of good handwashing techniques (did you see the latest report on doctors and their not washing their hands?) People with affected immune systems are at risk for many diseases and, of course, the flu can affect them more than someone with a healthy system. I had a pediatrician try to order antibiotics for my child after telling me he had a virus. I refused to allow it and asked him why he would recommend such. His reply “oh, I often treat the mothers. They expect me to give their child some kind of medicine”. It is that thinking that has gotten many aspects of our current situation in trouble...whether it is our government or our health care system...we often treat the complainer and not the actual problem. I hope that I have not “offended” you in any way. That was certainly not my intent. I am just tired of “us” not getting the truth or solution we really need. All of these posts are so right...the HongKong flu, the Bird flu, SARs, now the Swine which has been changed to H1N1. The LARGEST degree of addiction in our country is the addiction to fear. We are fed it everyday and we are lauded when we over react to the latest fear being pushed. No wonder we all run around screaming. “OMG, OMG”...which can be translated as oh, my God or oh, my Goodness depending on your association with the ACLU.
You are so right about the uncalled for antibiotics! My youngest daughter is now 38 years old. Years ago, when she had a sore throat, the pediatrician was quick to prescribe an anti-biotic, and was upset with me when I refused it unless she did a strep test.
This was before there was a quick test for strep. I was right, and the test sent to the lab came back negative for strep, so there was no need for antibiotics.
Never take them unless you have a bacterial infection that they will treat, and only then if it is something nasty, or you are at risk for some reason.
We have immune systems for a reason, and if they aren’t given some work to do, they tend to go on a rampage and attack various parts of our bodies. I also believe that our children, in general, are better off getting the common childhood illnesses than the vaccinations, in that the immunity developed is stronger than vaccine-induced immunity.
But, I could be wrong. I think I was, once. (sarc)
We have to be our own bosses on this stuff - either way - to use or not use antibiotics when prescribed. I always fill the prescriptions even if I do not plan to use them to stock up in case triage health care comes about and seniors are given pain pills instead of antibiotics for infections. Also, since I live in hurricane alley, I am always prepared for the flattening of civilization. With this flu, though, it is important to realize that in SOME people, the immune system response is haywire and it does open victims to secondary bacterial infections. MRSA is what is a staph infection called the "flesh eating" disease, by the way. We had a freeper's sister die from it as a result of the swine flu.