Microbiome who?

Before taking a microbiology course I had never heard of the term “microbiome.” I was aware that out bodies harbored bacteria, but I was unaware of the importance and function of these organisms. According to my microbiology class, there seems to be ten times the amount of microbial cells than human cells. Although this is just a rough estimate, having more bacteria inside us than our own cells is terrifying. It seems like bacteria has taken over and we have no control of it’s function. Not all microbes inside us are harmful. Many assist in our health. An example being they help prevent disease by out competing invading species. There is still tons of research being done attempting to uncover all the unknowns of what is truly going on in our bodies. A child will develop a functional microbiome around 3 years old, after being exposed to a variety of bacteria and viruses.

Recent studies have formed a relationship between kid’s microbiomes and the development of asthma. The type of organisms found in the upper respiratory microbiome can potentially lead to asthma. A study was done comparing the microbes in children’s noses when their asthma was controlled and when signs of flare-up occurred. All the kids participating had mild to moderate asthma. The samples taken during early signs of flare-up were found to have a higher amount of the bacteria linked to asthma growing. When these kid’s asthma was under control, no signs of flare-ups present, there was more beneficial bacteria. The idea of different bacterias being present when a disease or virus is present seems like common sense, however it appears to be much more complex. What causes the presence of different bacteria? How can one control what bacteria is present in their biome? There are numerous questions that are difficult to answer. Our diet, amount of physical activity, life choices, etc. can help shape our microbiome in a beneficial way. These choices can even precent certain infections/diseases.

Diet has been proven to affect how sensitive our gut microbes are to antibiotics. Antibiotics have been used to save us from deadly bacterial infections. I’m sure most people have received antibiotics at some point in their life, or they would just be immune to everything. Clostridium difficile, a disease discussed in my microbiology class, is one effect of over using antibiotics. They have been discovered to alter the gut microbiome in mice. The diet of these mice also determined the severity of these changes. Humans aren’t tolerating antibiotic treatment well. I never thought anything of it when I would be prescribed these. I just trusted my doctors and believed they would help my body better fight off different infections. This idea of antibiotics being more harmful to our microbiome than good has made me question how many times I have actually needed to go to the doctor. For example, having a common cold is something my body can fight off on it’s on, taking prescriptions can even make the symptoms last longer than usual. Did I actually need to see my doctor and be prescribed medication every time I felt sick? No. Most of the time I could guess I would be given amoxicillin, and was correct 99% of the time. Amoxicillin has been seen to reduce the amount of bacteria present in our guts and can even alter bacterial genes. I have most likely harmed my gut microbiome by taking amoxicillin when I didn’t have to. I have started to think of the severity of my symptoms before seeking treatment.