Common health Questions- What are the possible side Effects Of Antibiotics?

What Are The Possible Side Effects Of Antibiotics?
Antibiotic drugs can literally save lives and are effective in treating illnesses caused by bacterial infections when appropriately used. However, like all drugs, they have the potential to cause undesirable side effacts. Many of these side effects are not dangerous, although they can make life miserable while the drug is being taken.


Most antibiotic drugs have the potential to cause nausea, vomiting or diarrhnec because they alter the normal balance of beneficial or 'friendly' bacteria that live in the gut.
Alteration of this balance between certain types of bacteria and fungi in the body may also cause proliferation of particular yeast in the body, causing thrush in the mouth, gut or vaginal. Antibiotics may also cause skin rashes.


Other, less common, side effects may be caused by particular antibiotics. Your doctor will warn you of these if you need to take these antibiotics.
If you develop side effects, it is not wise to keep taking antibiotic. You should consult your doctor to discuss whether specific treatment of the side effects are needed or whether you should be changed to another antibiotic to treat the initial infection.
What will happen? The danger of widespread resistance to antibiotics is that bacteria infections will become untreatable and resistant strains of bacteria will develop which will not respond to antibiotic treatment - so called 'superbugs' - this will have serious consequences, initially for people with underlying medical conditions such as chronic lung disease or diseases which suppress the immune system, such as HIV.

There are huge concern among doctors that eventually these superbugs could cause untreatable infections in the otherwise healthy population.


CONCERN ABOUT THE ANTIBIOTICS
There is considerable concern at present about the emergence of a type of infection which is resistant to methicillin, one of the most powerful antibiotics available. The infection, known as MRSA, thrives in hospitals, where people are in close proximity and may have their defences weakened by illness.
MRSA is a growing problem worldwide, one of the issue being stressed to health workers in hospitals is the importance of thorough and frequent hand washing to avoid spreading the disease from patient to patient.