Guide To Amoxicillin

Amoxicillin is an antibiotic that belongs to the penicillin family, and like all penicillin antibiotics, amoxicillin originates from Penicillium. The medication is prescribed for both children and adults, and it comes in liquid, tablet, and intravenous forms. It is generally used for between one to two weeks, and it is capable of treating a variety of bacterial infections, including ear infections and bacterial endocarditis. While it can be used on its own for simple infections, doctors may choose to prescribe it in combination with two other antibiotics for the treatment of more complex infections. The exact dosage depends on the severity of the patient's infection. Due to the growing threat of antibiotic resistance, doctors will carefully evaluate whether amoxicillin is needed before choosing to prescribe it, and other treatments might be suggested first.

The major uses, precautions, and side effects associated with amoxicillin are outlined below.

What Are Antibiotics?

Antibiotics are potent drugs used to fight bacterial infections. Penicillin, an antibiotic in the same family as amoxicillin, was first discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928. While most antibiotics are based on compounds found in nature, they are now produced in laboratories. Antibiotics helped increase the average life expectancy by eight years between the 1940s to the 1970s. Their infection-fighting properties made surgeries much safer and allowed physicians to perform increasingly complex operations with a lower risk of infection. Most antibiotics are only available with a prescription, and a specific antibiotic must be prescribed to treat a given infection, as antibiotics generally cannot be interchanged to treat multiple types of bacteria.

Keep reading to learn about what amoxicillin is used for next.

What It's Used For

Amoxicillin is commonly used to treat ear infections, urinary tract infections, and strep throat. Patients with tonsillitis, bronchitis, or pneumonia are often prescribed this antibiotic too, and it can help treat sinus infections, bacterial endocarditis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia as well. Individuals who have stomach ulcers caused by the H. pylori bacteria might be treated with a combination of amoxicillin and clarithromycin, another antibiotic. This combination is sometimes used in conjunction with lansoprazole, a medicine that reduces stomach acid. In addition, amoxicillin could be considered as a treatment for infected animal bites such as cat scratches, and it is known to help with dental infections.

Discover what precautions patients must remember in regards to amoxicillin next.