8 Side Effects of Antibiotics that are unknown to you till today

Side Effects of Antibiotics

Basic knowledge about Antibiotics

Antibiotics are medicines used to treat bacterial infections. They are very effective to kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria when consumed in the right way. Although they help in fighting infections but they also have some side effects too and most of the side effects of antibiotics are going to be shared here.

How antibiotics work in our body ?

Antibiotics come from natural sources such as fungi, they battle against bacteria out in the environment. Molecules are present in them which helps to battle infections in people.

Nobody wants any bacteria in their body. But there are some good and bad bacteria. Everyone has something called a Microbiome. 

Now what does a Microbiome means ?

Our Microbiome is a collection of bacteria that live inside our bodies. A healthy and strong microbiome is one that has many different kinds of good bacteria that protects us from getting sick. So, it’s important that we keep these good bacteria. 

Why we need Antibiotics?

But it's equally important to get rid of the bad bacteria that gets in and causes problem. This is why you’ve been prescribed antibiotics. Antibiotics are available in the form of tablets, pills or intravenous fluids in the market.

Antibiotics are either “targeted” or “broad”. Sometimes, when you’re sick, your healthcare provider knows exactly what bacteria is causing your sickness. In times like this, a targeted antibiotic is prescribed. These types of antibiotics are primarily used to kill the harmful bacteria that causes illness.

But, sometimes your healthcare provider is unable to find that what is the reason for your illness. If your healthcare provider suspects it could be a bacterial infection, a broad antibiotic is prescribed. These types of antibiotics attack a wider range of bacteria in the hopes of killing the harmful bacteria. 

Unfortunately, whichever kind of antibiotic you receive, the good bacteria in our microbiome may be affected. But broad antibiotics usually affect more of our Microbiome. Your healthcare provider’s goal is to always protect your Microbiome as much as they can.

So now you know What is the role of antibiotics but its also important to know their side effects too. Generally they don't show any bad effects on our body if we take them in quantities prescribed by our doctor but it's better to be aware of the side effects of antibiotics.

In this article, I am going to mention eight unknown side effects of antibiotics.

Some of the most common side effects of antibiotics are :

• Diarrhea
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Vagina yeast infections
• Allergic reactions
• Inner ear problems

Unknown Side effects of Antibiotics

• Nausea and Vomiting - The most popular side effects of taking antibiotics are nausea and vomiting. It is known to everyone either from doctors or from their own experience.
  

• Fungal infection - Anti biotics change the bacterial habitats of our bodies so people can become vulnerable to fungal infection. They can appear in mouth, on skin or under nails.

• Teeth colouring - Tetracycline can lead to coloring in children before 8 years old and if a pregnant woman takes these drugs there is a chance that the baby will have problems with tooth enamel.

• Fever - A fever can be caused by many things except for taking Antibiotics but if you notice the fever right after you started taking them, you might have an allergic reaction to the antibiotic that is resulting in fever.
  

• Allergic reactions - One of the most dangerous antibiotic reaction is an allergic reaction. In this case a person might have an itching, rash, swollen eyelids, lips, tongue and even throat which can lead to anaphylaxis. Some time in situation like these a dose of adrenaline can save a person. However you must consult your physician.

• Sun sensitivity - Sometimes antibiotics like tetracycline and fluoroquinolone can have an influence on how sensitive your skin is to ultraviolet radiations. The same two antibiotics can cause a rash even if a person spent only 15 minutes in the sunlight.

• Heart problems - It's rare but excess consumption of antibiotics can lead to various heart problems. Most common are arrhythmia or low blood pressure.

• Headache and dizziness - Headaches and dizziness are also very popular side effect of taking antibiotics but usually they disappear after you stop taking the drugs.
  
  
  
  
  

Here we are sharing with you some foods and tips that you should keep in mind during your course of antibiotics.

Yogurt

Doctors mostly recommend to add Yogurt in your daily diet if you are having antibiotics. Yogurt helps your body recover from diarrhea which is the most common side effect of antibiotics. The good bacteria present in curd is gut friendly bacteria that provides protection to the intestines and also helps to produce lactic acid flush the toxins out of the body.

Garlic

Garlic is a natural antibiotic that helps kill harmful microbes and unlike antibiotics iit has zero side effects. Also it contains an important compounds that protects your kidneys and liver from the potential damage of antibiotics.

Ginger

Whether you suffer from diarrhea, nausea or vomiting due to prescribed antibiotics ginger is effective in dealing with the side effects gingers natural antibiotic property helps prevent and treat many health problems caused by bacteria. Fresh ginger has an antibiotic effect and it is very effective against food-borne pathogens and respiratory and periodontal infections.

Add blond foods to your diet

It is advisable that you eat only bland food during and after a course of antibiotics so as to keep yourself away from the side effects of antibiotics like nausea, diarrhea and vomitting. Basically these are the foods which are easy to digest and are not much spicy in nature. These types of food include dry crackers, clean bread, white rice etc.

Drink apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar also contains antibacterial properties that are required to fight harmful bacteria. Also it helps in controlling diarrhea that is also a side effect of antibiotics.

Take your antibiotics only in the way your doctor has recommended

For example some antibiotics are meant to be taken only with water, some need to be taken with food so as to increase their absorption. So you should always take your antibiotics in the right way and not by your own way.

Conclusion

If taken in right ways, antibiotics doesn't prove to harmful generally but it's better to be aware of the side effects of antibiotics.

To find the best antibiotic for you, it’s important that your healthcare provider knows what you’re allergic to and other medication you may be taking.

Take them only for that period of time for which your doctor recommends it according to your body's requirement. It's also important to have them with the right substance as we mentioned earlier like some are meant to have with water and others with food.