Medicines to restore microflora
Violation of the microflora is a topic that often becomes the subject of discussion in various medical programs, is used to promote various drugs, etc. But what is it really? What can cause a violation of microflora and how to restore it correctly? First of all, you should understand what the concept of microflora is.
Microflora is a term that is used to refer to "opportunistic" and pathogenic microorganisms living in various parts of the human body. The concept of "opportunistic pathogen" means that the organism is foreign to the human body and is not its product, but is relatively harmless as long as its number does not exceed acceptable limits. Pathogens are pathogens that cause disease in humans.
In our body and on its surface, there is a huge number of bacteria and fungi that coexist in relative balance and inhibit each other's growth. Between themselves, these organisms are in a sense competitors, so their diversity hinders the growth of each species individually. The natural immunity of the body inhibits the growth of bacteria within limits that are not capable of harming a person, however, when it decreases (for example, during viral diseases or when infected with bacterial infections), the balance of microflora is disturbed.
Usually, when it comes to a violation of the microflora, they mean a violation of the intestinal microflora. It can be caused both by the disease itself and by antibiotic treatment. broad-spectrum drugs most often act not only on pathogens, but also on symbiotic organisms. Thus, bacteria that normally coexist with the human body and help digest food are destroyed.
Dysbacteriosis (i.e., a violation of the intestinal microflora) manifests itself in various digestive disorders. The patient may experience excessive gas, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, and other symptoms of intestinal upset. Usually, with a balanced diet and effective treatment, these symptoms quickly disappear on their own when the body recovers from illness. However, if the human body is weakened, depleted, or antibiotic treatment has been too long, the patient may need drugs to restore the microflora.
Most often, children suffer from dysbacteriosis, because. their microflora is not yet fully formed and its condition is subject to relative instability. Restoring normal digestion is important for the growth and development of the child, because. intestinal disorders cause not only discomfort, but also intoxication of the body.
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What are the preparations for microflora?
All medicines for restoring microflora can be divided into 3 categories. In the first group, probiotics are distinguished - these are preparations that contain directly live bacteria that normally inhabit the intestines. Typically, probiotics are capsules that contain a substance that must reach the intestines and form a new viable colony of bacteria there. Typically, the difficulty in formulating such preparations lies in the high probability of digestion of the capsule in the stomach and upper intestines, due to which the bacteria may not survive on the way to the “landing site”.
Another group of drugs to restore normal microflora is prebiotics. These substances do not contain live bacteria, but are only a substrate for their settlement and growth. In other words, prebiotics are food for beneficial bacteria, and when they get into the intestines, they stimulate their independent growth.
The third category is synbiotics. The essence of these drugs is to combine the properties of the two previous categories - capsules with the active substance contain both live bacteria and substances for their growth. Thus, at the same time, the chance of survival of bacteria in the acidic environment of the stomach is increased, and the growth of the natural intestinal microflora is stimulated.
In addition, funds for the restoration of microflora can be divided into monopreparations and combined agents. This characteristic indicates the number of species of bacteria contained in the preparation - one or more. The specific type of drug and the need to take it should be determined only by the attending specialist, so it is impossible to say about the advantage of any particular group of drugs.
How to choose a drug?
First of all, it should be borne in mind that a medicine for restoring microflora is the same medication as any other, and, therefore, it cannot be taken without a doctor's prescription. In addition, both pro- and prebiotics are not cheap means, and it makes little sense to shell out for them without the testimony of a specialist.
So how to determine the need for taking the drug to restore the microflora? If the patient experiences symptoms of bowel disease, he should consult a doctor, indicating whether he has recently taken a course of antibiotics, and what specific drug was drunk. After that, the doctor will prescribe a fecal analysis, which will show the state of the intestinal microflora.
If the result of the analysis shows that the patient really has a lack of any bacterial culture, the doctor selects a drug aimed at filling the missing component and controls the course of treatment. You should be prepared for the fact that the restoration of microflora is a rather lengthy process, and you will have to pass several tests throughout the treatment to monitor its effectiveness.
Special care is required in cases of treatment when the patient is a child, a pregnant woman or a person with a chronic gastrointestinal disease. Only a doctor should select the necessary drug for such patients. There is an opinion that preparations of natural origin are preferable for such patients, but in fact there is no difference between them and artificial preparations in either efficiency or safety, and it manifests itself mainly in the cost of the medicine.
Common preparations for the restoration of microflora
Today, the market offers a wide range of different means for the normalization of microflora, which differ depending on the raw materials of manufacture, the manufacturer and many other various factors. We will consider the most common tools, depending on the groups they belong to.
Monocomponent probiotics:
- Lactobacterin;
- Baktisubtil;
- Probifor;
- Normoflorin.
Multicomponent probiotics:
- Acipol;
- Linex;
- Bifiform.
Prebiotics:
- Fervital;
- Lactusan;
- Duphalac.
Symbiotics:
- Hilak Forte;
- Bifidobak;
- Laminolact.
Usually, when writing a prescription, the doctor indicates the name of the active ingredient of the drug. At the same time, the consumer has the right to make a choice between drugs with different trade names. For example, preparations similar in terms of active substance content may cost differently depending on the manufacturer, marketing, etc.
It should be noted that some drugs have restrictions on their use. For example, they should not be used with any type of food. Compliance with the recommendations specified in the instructions regarding the time, frequency and combination of taking the drug is extremely important to achieve its effectiveness.
In addition to taking the drug, to restore the microflora, it is important to follow the correct diet.