Antibiotics Aren’t Always the Answer and That’s a Good Thing
Between Carpools • • health
Key Points:
- Antibiotics are effective only against bacterial infections and do not work on viral illnesses, which cause most common childhood symptoms like colds, coughs, sore throats, and flu.
- Using antibiotics unnecessarily can cause side effects such as diarrhea, rashes, and yeast infections, and can disrupt gut flora, leading to negative health consequences.
- Overuse of antibiotics contributes to antibiotic resistance, making future bacterial infections harder to treat and reducing the effectiveness of these medicines.
- Pediatric guidelines recommend using antibiotics only when clearly indicated and for the shortest effective duration, emphasizing watchful waiting and supportive care like fluids, rest, and symptom relief for most mild illnesses.
- Parents should consult their pediatrician to determine if an illness is viral or bacterial, understand warning signs
