Over-the-counter (OTC) antibiotics medicine, also called antibacterial medicine, are medicines that help to kill bacteria in the person’s body. It cannot be changed from one infection to another. It is a common medicine that can be bought over-the-counter since many of them require a prescription from doctors. The properties used in the antibiotics can treat the symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea, skin rashes, etc., that occur in patients.
Now, we are going to provide brief information about over-the-counter antibiotics with their benefits.
A Quick Look at Antibiotics and their Benefits
Some antibiotics are available over-the-counter and available from a medical store. Most of them are available in the United States of America, which requires a prescription for treating patients. Most antibiotics are used with different medications, especially with pain relief medication like Lortab and Tramadol as well as normal cough, cold, and fever.
A healthcare provider will tell you about using the right antibiotic, which treat your symptoms.
Benefits of Antibiotics
The benefits of antibiotics are as follows:
- They kill harmful bacteria which cause sinus, urinary infections, and strep throat in the body.
- They prevent infections from occurring before surgery.
- They are fast-acting and can be taken easily by people.
Top 5 Antibiotics Available Over-the-Counter
Several antibiotics are useful for the treatment of infections and fights against bacteria etc. Each of them has different treatment methods some of them are available over-the-counter and some of them are prescribed by doctors.
Below are the top five OTC antibiotics medicines that help to treat patients such as:
1. Benzoyl Peroxide (Proactiv)
Benzoyl Peroxide is an antibacterial medicine that is used to protect from acne occurring in the body. It is the world’s first medicine, which is considered a gold standard for more than 50 years in acne treatment.
Benzoyl Peroxide delivers the flow of oxygen into the body, which kills the acne-causing bacteria on the skin. It works as an anti-inflammatory medicine, which decreases the redness and soreness on the skin.
Products of Benzoyl Peroxide (Proactiv): Proactive+ Skin Smoothing Exfoliator, Proactive Repairing Treatment, Emergency Blemish Relief, Proactive+ Pore Targeting Treatment, Proactive Solution Renewing Cleanser, etc.
2. Bacitracin (Neosporin)
Bacitracin is a polypeptide antibiotic, which is useful for the treatment of minor skin injuries such as burns, cuts, and scrapes. It is ranked 300th position with more than 400,000 prescriptions in the United States of America.
Bacitracin only treats bacterial infections in the person’s body. It does not treat large infections caused by deep cuts, animal bites, puncture wounds, etc. on the skin. These large infections need a different treatment. You must consult with the doctor if you are suffering from large infections.
Before taking this medicine, you must consult with the doctor for minor injuries on the skin.
Products of Bacitracin (Neosporin): Neosporin Wound Cleanser, Neosporin Ophthalmic, Bacitracin First Aid Antibiotic Ointment, USP – ½ ounce, etc.
3. Neomycin (Neosporin Plus Pain Relief)
Neomycin is an aminoglycoside antibiotic that treats only bacterial infections on the skin. It is not useful for the treatment of fungal or viral infections in the person’s body.
Neomycin reduces the symptoms of hepatic coma in the body. It will apply on the skin one to three times a day for better results.
You must consult with the doctor, before using this ointment. Do not use this ointment in excess amounts. Use this ointment to protect the affected area in the body.
Products of Neomycin (Neosporin Plus Pain Relief): Neo-Medrol, Neo-Decadron, Neo-Cortef etc.
4. Polymyxin (Polysporin)
It is an antibiotic cream that is used for treating minor wounds on the skin. The work of this medicine is to kill bacteria and slow their growth in the body. It is useful only for skin infections.
You must wash your hands before using this cream. Apply this medicine in a small amount for 1 to 3 times daily on the skin. Do not use this cream inside the mouth, eyes, or nose.
Products of Polymyxin (Polysporin): Polymyxin-B cream and Neomycin.
5. Pramoxine
Paramoxine is an antibiotic medicine that provides temporary relief from itching and pain caused by skin irritation in the body. The irritation on the skin includes insect bites, sunburn, rashes, cold sores, and eczema. This is a daily-use skin cream, patients can use this 3 to 4 times daily.
You should not use this cream for deep cuts, open wounds, or serious burns on the skin. If you face these problems, you must consult with a doctor. A doctor will advise you on different treatments for these problems.
Products of Paramoxine: Paramoxine Hydrochloride, Paramoxine Anti-itch Spray, Itch Relief Moisturizing Lotion, etc.
Conclusion
This blog describes the information about using over-the-counter antibiotic medicines in 5 ways. In these five OTC antibiotic medicines listed above, some of them may be prescribed by the doctor.
A doctor’s prescription is important for the treatment of symptoms that cause bacteria in the body. You should not take any medicine directly without consulting a doctor.