Antibiotics double risk of intestinal disease (IBD) & cause joint, muscle & nerve damage

Antibiotics double risk of intestinal disease (IBD) & cause joint, muscle & nerve damage

Doctors don't think twice about prescribing antibiotics... and most of us don't think twice about taking them. This is a mistake. Doctors have been handing out antibiotics like candy for years. The medication is the first-line treatment for respiratory tract infections. But antibiotics absolutely do not help most respiratory infections like flu and colds. They are caused by viruses. Antibiotics only treat bacterial diseases.

American doctors write 47 million unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions every year. This is more than a waste of money…it is a waste of life. As a result of the overuse of antibiotics, many disease-causing bacteria have become resistant. Antibiotics no longer work on the deadly germs. So-called superbugs now kill more than 23,000 people every year in America alone. ((link removed))

New research results on antibiotics

Now, new research shows that unnecessary antibiotics can hurt you in other ways. The study was carried out inThe Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology published. The researchers reviewed a massive health database of more than 150,000 people. They found that those who took antibiotics had a nearly two-thirds higher risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). ((link removed))

Around 1.6 million people suffer from IBD in the US alone. Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are the two most common forms of the disease. ((link removed))

Both diseases involve inflammation of the colon, leading to stomach cramps, diarrhea and bleeding. In severe cases, patients require a colostomy. (Source)

How do antibiotics cause IBD?

IBD is an autoimmune disease in which your immune system attacks your own body. In the case of IBD, it attacks your intestines. Researchers believe that by killing beneficial bacteria in your gut, antibiotics mess with your immune system.

"I think (this study) confirms what many of us have suspected - that antibiotics that adversely affect gut microbial communities are a risk factor for IBD," said Dr. Long Nguyen. He was the lead author of the study. ((link removed))

Antibiotics can also cause permanent, disabling damage to muscles, joints, and nerves. And they destroy beneficial probiotic gut bacteria that are important for digestion, immunity and brain function. They have been linked to cancer and type 2 diabetes.

4 Signs You Need Antibiotics

Pneumonia and other respiratory infections are among the diseases most commonly treated with antibiotics... although they are often caused by Virusescaused by diseases that do not respond to antibiotics. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “At least 50% of antibiotic prescriptions for these acute respiratory diseases are not required.” ((link removed))

So how can you tell if your respiratory illness is caused by a virus or bacteria? British researchers have developed a simple four-point test. Scientists at the University of Southampton tracked over 28,000 patients with signs of respiratory infections. They collected data on patients' symptoms, test results and treatment. (Source)

The researchers found that there were four symptoms that were almost foolproof in diagnosing whether a patient had bacterial pneumonia:

• Temperatur höher als 37,7°C.
• Pulsfrequenz von mehr als 100 Schlägen pro Minute
• Sauerstoffsättigung im Blut unter 95%.
• Ein mit einem Stethoskop hörbares Knistern in der Lunge des Patienten. ((Link entfernt))

The study found that almost 90% of patients with pneumonia had at least one of these signs. Dr. Michael Moore is Professor of Primary Care Research at the University of Southampton. He led the study. “This study shows that there are objective measures that indicate whether or not a patient may have pneumonia" said Professor Moore. "And these are all factors that general practitioners can already test for.“((Link removed))

If you go to the doctor for a respiratory illness, show him this article. Get tested for the four symptoms that indicate pneumonia. There's a chance you have a cold or flu caused by a virus that can be treated without antibiotics.