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Why
Antibiotics Are Not the Answer for the Common Cold and Acne
By
Dr. Ben Kim
Life
Essentials Health Clinic
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For
years, dermatologists have prescribed various oral
and topical antibiotics as a first line of treatment
for acne.
This
standard of care may soon change due to a study in
the September 2005 Archives of Dermatology that
reports that people who use oral or topical
antibiotics to treat acne have more than double the
chance of having a cold during the following year. To
put it plainly, regular use of antibiotics increases
your risk of developing the common cold.
How
can this be?
The
medical community has known for years that regular
antibiotic use in situations that are not life or
limb threatening can lead to health problems related
to killing off friendly bacteria in your body.
Having lots of friendly bacteria in your body is
important to your health because they enhance the
strength of your immune system and contribute to a
protective digestive tract lining.
What's
particularly ironic about the findings of this study
is that antibiotics are used so frequently in
today's society to treat the common cold.
So, not only does regular use of antibiotics
increase your risk of getting a cold by weakening
your immune system, if you treat your cold with
antibiotics, your immune system will be weakened
even further and your suffering will in all
likelihood be prolonged.
Speaking
of treating colds with antibiotics, are you aware
that the common cold is related to viruses and not
bacteria?
Continued
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Continued...
Antibiotics
are useless against viruses. I'm convinced that a major
reason why antibiotics are prescribed so frequently for the
common cold is that many doctors don't take the time to
determine whether a person's symptoms are related to a
bacterium or a virus. Plus, many people have just come to
expect a prescription for antibiotics when they have any
symptoms that resemble a cold and make a trip to the
doctor's office.
What many
people don't know is that antibiotics have a mild
anti-inflammatory effect. So even though antibiotics are
useless against viral infections, they can make you feel
better in the moment, just like Tylenol, Motrin, and other
anti-inflammatory pills can.
Getting back
to the study on acne that prompted this article, I hope it's
clear that I don't recommend the use of oral or topical
antibiotics to treat acne. Acne is best addressed by working
on your diet, lifestyle, and emotional health. For some
recommendations on treating acne from the inside out, view
the following article: A
Natural Approach to Curing and Preventing Acne.
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Health Tip: Pregnancy Affects the Skin
Title: Health Tip: Pregnancy Affects the Skin
Category: Health News
Created: 6/19/2008 2:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 6/19/2008
Publ.Date : Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PDT
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Title: tetracycline, Sumycin
Category: Medications
Created: 3/26/1998 2:30:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 12/19/2008
Publ.Date : Fri, 19 Dec 2008 00:00:00 PDT
Skin Pictures Slideshow: Adult Skin Problems
Title: Skin Pictures Slideshow: Adult Skin Problems
Category: Slideshows
Created: 5/14/2008
Last Editorial Review: 5/23/2008
Publ.Date : Fri, 23 May 2008 00:00:00 PDT
Health Tip: Conditions That May Affect a Newborn's Skin
Title: Health Tip: Conditions That May Affect a Newborn's Skin
Category: Health News
Created: 11/19/2008 8:53:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 11/19/2008
Publ.Date : Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:00:00 PDT
Study Lets Teens Sound Off on Acne Therapies
Title: Study Lets Teens Sound Off on Acne Therapies
Category: Health News
Created: 8/19/2008 2:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/19/2008
Publ.Date : Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 PDT
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Title: Photodynamic Therapy
Category: Procedures and Tests
Created: 6/3/2008
Last Editorial Review: 7/24/2008
Publ.Date : Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PDT
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