Here are the health risks associated with antibiotics

Antibiotics resistance has long been of grave concern across the world. Gross misuse and excessive use of antibiotics have done massive damage to our bodies. Here are the risks of overusing antibiotics.

By: Editorial Team | | Updated: November 16, 2018 1:43 pm

Do you keep popping antibiotics regularly? ©Shutterstock

Overprescription of antibiotics is a huge concern across the world. A number of people look for alternatives to antibiotics when it comes to the treatment of various diseases and conditions because antibiotics have long been associated with a number of health risks. Various studies have shown that people taking antibiotics can develop resistance and experience gastrointestinal distress since antibiotics kill both bad and good bacteria in the gut. Here are some of the most dangerous side effects of antibiotics:

They may increase the risk of obesity: A study has shown that antibiotics may alter the type and volume of gut bacteria that have been associated with increased risk of obesity particularly if taken for longer periods in early childhood. The findings of the US study revealed that antibiotics or acid suppressants was associated with a heightened risk of obesity by the age of 3 — the average age at which obesity was first identified in these children.

They can sabotage the work of natural defences in the body : A study noted that ntibiotics can kill short-chain fatty acids produced by body’s own good bacteria and that natural defenses are very effective in reducing infection and unwanted inflammation—and that antibiotics can prevent such natural defenses.

Up the risk of kidney stones: A team of researchers have blamed use of oral antibiotics for the increase in the number of kidney stones cases particularly among younger people. Study co-author Michelle Denburg said that at least five classes of oral antibiotics were associated with a diagnosis of kidney stone disease. The five classes were oral sulfas, cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, nitrofurantoin, and broad-spectrum penicillins.

Antibiotics are prescribed for wrong reasons: A study by the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society found that nearly a third of all antibiotics prescribed for hospitalized children globally were intended to prevent potential infections rather than to treat disease. The study noted that ‘a large proportion of these preventive prescriptions were for broad-spectrum antibiotics or combinations of antibiotics, or were for prolonged periods, which can hasten the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and drug-resistant infections.’

Published : November 16, 2018 1:39 pm | Updated:November 16, 2018 1:43 pm

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