Medicines are the cure for a disease and, they can be in the form of a tablet, syrup, injection, or any type of cream, etc. These medicines are prescribed by the doctors and, it includes time table within which you have to intake that medicine. Intaking wrong medicines or taking in excess can cause harmful side effects; therefore, one should limit the intake of medicines.
Antibiotics and Antibacterial medicines come in the category of bacterial treatment medicines or drugs. Both these medicines work inside as well as outside the body. For internal treatments, it comes in the form of pills, syrup, or injections, whereas for external treatment, it comes in the form of lotion, gel, etc.
Antibiotic vs Antibacterial
The main difference between Antibiotics and Antibacterial is that Antibiotics treat all types of infections, including bacterial, fungal, and infections caused by parasites. Whereas, Antibacterial as the name refers only to treat infections or diseases caused by the bacteria that include flu, fever, etc.
Antibiotic comes under the antimicrobial drug category. These drugs inhibit or prevent the growth of bacterial or microbial cells inside the body. Antibiotics are also useful to treat infections caused by protozoa like malaria, cryptosporidiosis, toxoplasmosis, African sleeping sickness, etc.
Antibacterial come under the category of Antibiotics that only targets bacterial infections. These medicines are originated from an organic source or biological source but, they can also be manufactured by chemicals artificially. Antibacterial drugs kill the bacterial growth inside as well as outside the body.
Comparison Table Between Antibiotic and Antibacterial
| Parameters of Comparison | Antibiotic | Antibacterial |
| Target microbes | Antibiotic is a medication used for the cure of infections caused by microbes like fungi, algae, bacteria, protozoa, and some specific types of viruses. | Antibacterial drugs do not target a variety of microbes like Antibiotic drugs instead it only focuses on Bacteria. |
| Target cell | This type of drug targets only procaryotes and eucaryotes call types. | This drug targets organisms with one cell and no nucleus and is called prokaryotic cells. |
| Areas focused | This medicine focuses on areas like cell wall that includes peptidoglycan, DNA of bacteria, and metabolism. | This medicine focuses on areas like glucan, fungal cell, cell wall that includes peptidoglycan, DNA of bacteria, metabolism, etc. |
| Usual form | Antibiotics are usually seen in the form of capsules, pills, or through intravenous medical techniques. | Antibacterial drugs are usually seen in the form of disinfectants, bathing soaps, tablets and cleansing products, etc. |
| Aftereffects or Side effects | The side effects of this drug include vomiting, diarrhea, bloating, pain in the abdominal area, etc. | The side effect of this drug includes rashes, dizziness, infections caused by yeast, etc. |
What is Antibiotic?
Antibiotic is chemical formulation used to fight against microbial infections and diseases caused by them. This medicine directly targets the DNA or the bacterial cell and inhibits its further growth in a specific organ. These types of drugs can be synthesized in a laboratory or can be generated through living organisms like fungi and bacteria.
Antibiotics are made by observing living organisms’ way of fighting off bacterial or fungal infections naturally. Antibiotics are classified into various categories depending on the micro they kill. For example, if an Antibiotic targets bacteria, then it is named an Antibacterial drug. Similarly, if an Antibiotic targets fungal infections, then it is named Antifungal.
Antibiotics should be taken with the prescription of the doctors only because they can cause severe side effects and may become the reason for other bacterial infections. And also, the course prescribed for Antibiotics should be completed fully because, if not done properly can cause future bacterial development in the body.
What is Antibacterial?
Antibacterial medicines only target single-celled micro-organisms, thus not effective against organisms with multicell and having nuclei in them. These medicines are also produced from living organisms as well as can be made synthetically in the laboratory using chemicals.
Antibacterial medicines are categorized into two types one is bacteriocidal and, another is bacteriostatic. The bacteriocidal is used for killing the bacteria or for destroying the bacterial cell completely whereas, bacteriostatic is only used for inhibiting the growth of the bacterial cell or the affected cell.
Antibacterial medicines and drugs are less harmful to human beings when compared with Antibiotics, but the overuse of them can make our immune systems weak, which makes us exposed to harmful microbes.
Main Differences Between Antibiotic and Antibacterial
- Antibiotics are medications used to cure infections caused by microbes like fungi, algae, bacteria, protozoa, and some specific types of viruses. On the other hand, Antibacterial drugs do not target a variety of microbes like Antibiotic drugs do. Instead, it only focuses on Bacteria.
- Antibacterial drugs are usually seen in the form of disinfectants, bathing soaps, tablets and cleansing products, etc. Whereas, Antibiotics are usually seen in the form of capsules, pills, or through intravenous medical techniques.
- Antibacterial drug targets organisms with one cell called prokaryotic cells. While Antibiotic drug targets only procaryotes and eucaryotes call types.
- Antibiotic medicine focuses on areas like cell wall that includes peptidoglycan, DNA of bacteria, and metabolism. Whereas, Antibacterial medicines focus on areas like glucan, fungal cell, cell wall that includes peptidoglycan, DNA of bacteria, metabolism, etc.
- Antibiotic aftereffects include vomiting, diarrhea, bloating, pain in the abdominal area, etc. While the aftereffects of Antibacterial drugs include rashes, dizziness, infections caused by yeast, etc.
Conclusion
There are several forms of medicines like inhalers, injections, tablets, liquid or syrup, tropical medicines, suppositories, etc. Medicines are taken under the supervision of the doctors, but some medicines like Paracetamol, Digene, etc., can be taken without the prescription also because these types of medicines do not include harmful side effects.
Before taking any type of medicine, one should always check the expiry date of the particular medicine because, after the expiration date, the chemical composition of the medicines changes. Thus the chances for harmful side effect increases. Antibiotics and Antibacterial drugs come under the general medicine category and should be taken carefully because it directly affects the DNA of the human body.
References
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/03009734.2014.896438
- https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/20053172599