Experts warn that the unlimited use of these medications hides a danger because a person might travel back in the ages before antibiotics, when infections were deadly.

Measureless use of antibiotics makes microbes more resistant and this creates the life danger. It is scientifically proven that antibiotics start fighting microbes if their boundless use is stopped between three and six months.

Prof. Eleni Gimarelou from the Thessaloniki Hospital AHEPA noted that there are 160 types of antibiotics right now on the Greek market and despite that, a patient might die because he/she is infected with a resilient to all antibiotics microbe.

Dr. Gimarelou is basing her statements on a research about the use of antibiotics, in which 5000 people participated from the Attika region. The research showed that 70% of the surveyed have taken antibiotics in the last six months and 80% of the ones who answered are under 44 years old.

According to the data from the research, Greeks use too much antibiotics, because they don’t know, in which cases to take them. And even though antibiotics are not supposed to be taken for flu, cold, high temperature, or viruses, 38% of the surveyed said that antibiotics cure the flu, 35% believe that they lower the temperature and 64% are certain that antibiotics kill viruses.

Based on the same research, parents are giving their children antibiotics without consulting with a doctor beforehand. But Dr. Gimarelou notes that doctors are not faultless in giving out medicines. Antibiotics are very often misused when given to children, shows a research done among pediatricians in Greece.

5-6 out of 10 mothers have antibiotics in their first aid home kit and 20%-40% give their children antibiotics without a prescription from a pediatrician and in case the pediatrician refuses to prescribe them, then 20% of mothers continue to insist on it or they just change their doctor.