what is the concern with overuse of antibiotics
If an antibiotic is taken when itâs not really needed, the patient risks suffering side effects without receiving any benefit from that medication. The overuse of antibiotics can cause a patient to develop an infection of the colon called Clostridium difficile (or C. diff for short). This infection can occur when the antibiotic kills all the good bacteria, along with the bad, and leaving only C. diff behind to cause an infection. Overuse of antibiotics can also lead to antibiotic resistance, perhaps the most worrisome consequence. When bacteria are exposed to antibiotics, they can develop mutations which cause the antibiotic to no longer work against those bacteria.
But these drugs donât work at all against viruses, such as those that cause colds or flu. Unfortunately, many antibiotics prescribed to people and to animals are unnecessary. And the overuse and misuse of antibiotics helps to create drug-resistant bacteria. Hereâs how that might happen. When used properly, antibiotics can help destroy disease-causing bacteria.