Side Effects When Using Antibiotics in the Long Term

Tahir, Marwa Ramadan (2018-06-30)

Antibiotics are medications commonly prescribed by doctors for the treatment of various illnesses. These medications can be either synthesized in the laboratory or produced naturally by other microorganisms. Antibiotics work by inhibiting the growth of bacteria. They are usually prescribed for 7 to 14 days. However, in certain cases, especially in long-term illnesses a prolonged use of antibiotics is recommended, which is normally associated with various side effects. For this reason, it is very important for healthcare provider to weigh the cons when it comes to side effects of long-term use, as well as the pros. Antibiotics Can Lead to Resistance use antibiotics for a long period of time, you can easily develop a resistance, which means that a certain antibiotic does no longer work against a certain bacteria. This is one of the serious side effects of long-term antibiotic use. The more antibiotics you use and for the longer you use them, the greater is the chance of developing antibiotic resistance

Other

We have known for some time that one of the unwanted side effects of taking antibiotics is their disruption of friendly microbes in the gut. But now a new study that takes a closer look suggests the consequences of long-term antibiotic use could be even far-more reaching than we thought.Antibiotics destroy cells in the lining of the gut.Antibiotic use is widespread - around 40% of adults and 70% of children take at least one a year, and billions of animals are treated with them.When used properly, antibiotics eliminate life-threatening infections, but around 1 in 10 people treated with them suffer adverse side effects.Scientists are beginning to discover that antibiotic use - and overuse especially - is associated with a range of problems that affect, among other things, glucose metabolism, the immune system, food digestion and behavior. As of April 2018, antibiotics ranked as the No. 1 most commonly prescribed drug class with sales hitting $40 billion globally. Between 2000 and 2015, human use of antibiotics rose by nearly 40 percent. And some economists now say that if nothing changes, antibiotic resistance will be responsible for 10 million deaths around the world by 2050.

Collections:
Attribution 3.0 United States
Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as Attribution 3.0 United States