Ugh… your aching head, your stuffy nose and your exhausted body have landed you on the couch with a nasty cold. You’re anxious to get back to work, and think an antibiotic medication might speed your recovery.
Think again. Antibiotics don’t help viral illnesses such as colds and flu. Also, the inappropriate use of antibiotics is harmful. Antibiotics can reduce the immune system’s response — increasing risks for diseases. Specifically, antibiotics are linked with a heightened risk of breast cancer, Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, heart disease and liver problems.
Since the first antibiotic, penicillin, was introduced in the 1940s, scientists have developed more than 150 antibiotic drugs. The overuse of antibiotics has led to the evolution of bacterial strains that no longer respond to treatment with common antibiotics. It’s a problem known as “antibiotic resistance” and has led to the development of “superbugs.”
“”Modern medicine is not possible without effective antibiotics and the global pipeline is frighteningly thin,” he said. “If we don’t fix this, we are all in serious trouble. It means not getting that hip replaced, not having care for your premature baby, and not having cancer treated.”” Read more about the seriousness of “superbugs” here: Rise of superbugs threatens antibiotic crisis.
Scientific studies also show that children with ear infections typically do not require antibiotics.
Are you looking for an all-natural alternative to medication? Call Dr. Kimberly Maxwell at (406) 585-7000. Dr. Maxwell is currently accepting new patients.