| WKSR: Archived News |
|
CDC Warns Against Overuse Of Antibiotics
Posted on November 19, 2012
The CDC and doctors around the nation are warning patients that resistant strains of bugs are on the rise, and using antibiotics when you don't need them contributes to the growing problem.
Doctors in Tennessee and all over the nation are trying to get the word out that people don't need antibiotics every time they get the sniffles or a sore throat. If fact, the CDC says overuse of antibiotics is causing resistant bacteria to multiply and make people sicker.
Loyola University infectious disease specialist, Dr. Gail Reid, says many people don't realize how dangerous it can be to misuse antibiotics. She says sometimes people don't finish their medications and then try to use them when the drugs have passed their expiration date. Not only may it not work or be effective. It may actually cause bad side effects.
The CDC advises doctors to write out suggested over-the-counter treatments for people who don't need antibiotics but insist that they do something. The agency says Americans spend more than 1 billion dollars a year on antibiotics they don't need.
|
|
