Advantages And Disadvantages Of Using Antibiotics

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Even though antibiotics are widely used and have many benefits, there are various disadvantages of using them as well. The overuse of antibiotics and taking antibiotics even when they're not the appropriate treatment causes a problem called antibiotic resistance. Antibiotics often have no benefit for many other types of infections like cold, bronchitis, flu, sore throats and many sinus and ear infections. Using them unnecessarily would only increase the risk of antibiotic resistance, so they are not routinely used. Secondly, antibiotics treat only bacterial infections but not viral infections. For example, an antibiotic is the proper treatment for a disease like strep throat, which is caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pyogenes. It is not the right treatment, however, for most sore throats, which are caused by viruses. Sometimes antibiotics can help alleviate symptoms of viral diseases, but they can’t treat them. If an antibiotic is taken when you actually have a viral infection, the antibiotic will probably start attacking the beneficial bacteria in your body. This misused treatment can then promote antibiotic-resistant properties in harmless bacteria that reside within the human body. There …show more content…

Every time antibiotics are swallowed, the beneficial bacteria within our intestines are also killed. When you do so, it upsets the delicate balance of your intestinal terrain. Yeast can grow into large colonies and take over the intestines in a condition called ‘leaky gut,’ which can puncture holes to form through the lining of your intestinal wall. As the intestinal bacteria die, yeast cells thrive and can cause many syndromes such as dysbiosis. By altering the normal terrain of the intestines, antibiotics can also make food allergies more

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