{"id":90646,"date":"2016-07-05T16:32:09","date_gmt":"2016-07-05T16:32:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/doctors-warn-acne-could-become-resistant-to-antibiotics\/"},"modified":"2016-07-05T16:32:09","modified_gmt":"2016-07-05T16:32:09","slug":"doctors-warn-acne-could-become-resistant-to-antibiotics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/doctors-warn-acne-could-become-resistant-to-antibiotics\/","title":{"rendered":"Doctors warn acne could become resistant to antibiotics"},"content":{"rendered":"

There’s a warning that if doctors continue to prescribe antibiotics to treat acne over a long time, sufferers could become resistant to it.<\/b><\/p>\n

It means a strain of so-called “super acne” could develop which would be untreatable by antibiotics.<\/p>\n

The official advice is if antibiotics don’t work after three months, patients should be referred to a skin specialist.<\/p>\n

Delaying treatment could cause scarring. <\/p>\n

“It is definitely a concern which I think both patients and doctors need to be aware of,” Dr Heather Whitehouse, who specialises in skin complaints, told Newsbeat.<\/p>\n

More
\n related stories<\/span>
\n <\/h2>\n

\"Acne<\/p>\n

Acne ‘needs to be taken more seriously’<\/h3>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Dealing<\/p>\n

What not to say to people with acne<\/h3>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Will\"<\/p>\n

Acne drug is ‘grossly overused’<\/h3>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

A recent study, released at the British Association of Dermatologists’ Annual Conference, found that on average patients were prescribed antibiotics to treat acne for six and a half months before being referred to a skin specialist.<\/p>\n

One person was prescribed antibiotics for seven years.<\/p>\n

Researcher Dr Alison Layton said: “It could cause the emergence of antibiotic-resistant Propionibacterium acnes – the bacterium implicated in acne – making acne harder to treat in some cases.<\/p>\n

“Worryingly, the use of oral antibiotics is also likely to drive resistance in other bacteria, unrelated to acne.”<\/p>\n

What is acne?<\/h2>\n

Acne is a very common skin condition characterised by blackheads and whiteheads and pus-filled spots. <\/p>\n

It usually starts at puberty and varies in severity from a few spots to a more significant problem that may cause scarring. <\/p>\n

A degree of acne affects nearly all people between the ages of 15 and 17<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\"Lucy<\/p>\n

For the majority of sufferers it tends to clear up by late teens or early 20s, but it can persist for longer in some people.<\/p>\n

Lucy’s story<\/h2>\n

Lucy Arnold developed acne when she was 22.<\/p>\n

“My face, my back and my chest were all covered.”<\/p>\n

Like many sufferers, having acne had a huge effect on Lucy’s life. <\/p>\n

“It was really hard for me. It turned me into a bit of a recluse. My skin was awful. <\/p>\n

“I’d cry taking off my make-up.<\/p>\n

“It changed me. I lost a lot of confidence.”<\/p>\n

\"Lucy<\/p>\n

Lucy, who’s now 25, used to work with children teaching pottery.<\/p>\n

“The kids used to ask me what was wrong with my face. That really used to upset and distress me. <\/p>\n

“People used to think I was dirty or mucky but it isn’t something you can help.”<\/p>\n

\"Lucy<\/p>\n

Lucy tried several types of antibiotics but none of them worked.<\/p>\n

She was desperate and started searching for treatments she’d researched online.<\/p>\n

“I tried turmeric capsules, I tried using [certain] products and then using no products, then wheatgrass, a clean eating diet, no gluten and then no dairy.<\/p>\n

“I feel like I’ve tried everything possible over the last few years to try and make a difference to my skin.”<\/p>\n

So what’s the alternative to antibiotics?<\/h2>\n

“Antibiotics are just one element of what we have on offer to treat acne. There are other options,” Dr Whitehouse explains.<\/p>\n

“If your acne’s milder there are good creams.<\/p>\n

“Once the acne is under control then you can stop the antibiotics in tablet form and carry on with creams to maintain that benefit you’ve seen in the skin.<\/p>\n

“The other thing to do is use the cream alongside the tablet antibiotics because that reduces the chance of developing the resistance in the first place.<\/p>\n

“We want to be able to continue to use them, and so in order for them to be effective, we have to be responsible for how we’re prescribing them.<\/p>\n

“There’s lots of different types of antibiotics so switching can help.”<\/p>\n

After three years Lucy was referred to a skin specialist who put her on a strong drug that seems to have worked.<\/p>\n

\"Lucy's<\/p>\n

Lucy says despite the side-effects, it’s been worth it. <\/p>\n

“My skin’s absolutely beautiful now. The clearest it’s ever been.”<\/p>\n

For help and more information on acne, check out the BBC Radio 1 advice pages<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Find us on Instagram at <\/i>BBCNewsbeat<\/a> and follow us on Snapchat, search for <\/i>bbc_newsbeat<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There’s a warning that if doctors continue to prescribe antibiotics to treat acne over a long time, sufferers could become resistant to it. It means a strain of so-called “super acne” could develop which would be untreatable by antibiotics. The official advice is if antibiotics don’t work after three months, patients should be referred to Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-90646","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90646","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90646"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90646\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90646"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=90646"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90646"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}