What are the risks involved with using too many antibiotics by people for minor diseases?

Question

What are the risks involved with using too many antibiotics by people for minor diseases?

Answer 1

When people use too many antibiotics the bacteria that the antibiotics are designed to kill eventually become resistant to them, therefore making it more difficult to fight the infection.

Answer 2

Antibiotics are generally safe medications to take.  But, they do have side effects.  Also, some people are allergic to antibiotics.  Next, there is the building of resistant bacteria with the frivolous use of antibiotics.  This happens because if you kill 99.9% of bacteria that means some still live.  The ones that survive the onslaught of antibiotics are the ones resistant to the antibiotic.  Now these resistant bacteria have no competition from the other 99.9% bacteria that was there.  They start growing.  Pretty soon you have the infection back except now the bacteria laugh at the previous antibiotic used.  

Take antibiotics only for bacterial infections and only if warranted.

Answer 3

Although resistance is something many people do worry about, the more immediate side effect for someone on broad spectrum antibiotics is usually diarrhea.  And in the long term, Vitamin K deficiency can result.

Answer 4

If too many antibiotics are used, then the person will eventually become resistant to them.  That's how these new staph infections that "don't respond" to antibiotics emerge.  Hypathetically speaking, lets say the the person develops a serious staph infection and has a history of taking too many antibiotics.  The doctors will have a difficult time curing the staph cause the body has become immune to the antibiotics and the patient won't get better.  And sometimes, people think that antibiotics can help a cold--WRONG--it's a virus.  Antibiotics should only be used for bacterial infections.  Antibiotics tend to be overrated too cause of the side effects.  When I had a minor skin infection I was prescribed the 10 day treatment, and by the third day, I experienced a yeast infection, so I threw them in the garbage can.  Wasn't smart, but hey, I was feeling uncomfortable "down there"; lol.  Stay the heck away from antibiotics as much as possible.