7 Things You Can Do to Prevent Resistance to Antibiotics

Help your antibiotics do the job they were meant to do.
Help your antibiotics do the job they were meant to do.

In the last 10 years, more and more people have developed serious infections that are resistant to antibiotic drugs. These steps may help prevent infection and keep things from getting worse.

1. Keep vaccinations up to date.
It's especially important that kids get the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine against pneumonia. When they're protected, it's less likely the disease will be transmitted to adults.

2. Wash your hands often.
You'll use fewer antibiotics if you don't get sick in the first place. Don't forget lunchtime: For some reason, people are less vigilant in the middle of the day, says Tufts researcher Stuart Levy, M.D.

Related: 5 Times You Can Tough It Out and Skip Antibiotics

3. Cook eggs, meat, and poultry well.
Also, handle raw meat carefully to avoid cross-contamination. By preventing food-borne infections, you'll cut the chances that you and your family will need antibiotics.

4. Take antibiotics correctly.
Don't share, skip doses, or stop early unless told to; you're more likely to leave behind stronger, more resistant bacteria.

Related: Is Our Antibiotic Habit Killing Us?

5. Consider organic foods.
Antibiotics are not allowed in organic livestock. You can also choose nonorganic meats raised without antibiotics.

6. Avoid antibacterial soap.
Using plain soap prevents illness just as effectively. Also, antibacterial ingredients (like triclosan) may promote drug resistance.

Related: How Drugs End Up in Our Food

7. Don't demand the "big guns".
For many of the most common infections, older, narrower-spectrum antibiotics like penicillin are still the best choice.

- By Richard Laliberte

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