Self-devaluation of Antibiotics as a Side Effect of Their Use

Despite their long history of use, antibiotics remain the primary treatment for inflammatory diseases. However, it is often overlooked that these drugs are capable of killing only certain types of bacteria and do not directly affect inflammatory mechanisms. Moreover, long-term antimicrobial therapy leads to the development of side effects, including changes in the etiology of acute pneumonia. The prolonged and methodical eradication of common pneumonia pathogens forces nature to gradually replace them with agents unrelated to the spectrum of antimicrobial activity. It is this circumstance, and not microbial resistance, as is currently believed, that is the main reason for the decline in antibiotic effectiveness. This conclusion is supported by the prevalence of viral forms of pneumonia, while only a few resistant strains of pathogens are identified among the small number of bacterial infections. This latter statement indicates the need to reconsider the concept of disease and remove antibiotics from the list of miracle cures.