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Tian Yi Ou
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Janosch
Abstract
This paper explores some effects of inappropriate use of antibiotics have on human immune
system, and the most common cause of inappropriate use of antibiotics. Some of the effects of
inappropriate use of antibiotics are allergy, antibiotic resistance, and weakened immune system.
The most serious consequences of antibiotic allergy is death. According to Chemist Shane
Ellison, antibiotics brought many benefits but it also causes a lot of problems(Antibiotic
medicine, it kills friendly bacteria when its killing harmful bacteria (Saey,2011). This paper used
7 articles that are published online recently as reference.Most of the articles are written by
scientists and physicians, and they used a lot of references in their articles. Most of the research
and experiment mentioned in this paper were done by a professional institution or an experienced
scientist. So the information that was used in this paper as reference is accurate and credible.
EFFECTS OF ANTIBIOTICS 3
Everything has two sides--the positive side and the negative side. Antibiotics is a double-
edged sword. Antibiotics saves many people from dying from bacterial infections, but it also
causes immune system problems such as allergies, antibiotics resistance, and antibiotics
discovered by British scientist Alexander Fleming in the 1940s. After Penicillin was put into
use as medication for bacterial infections, many serious diseases that caused by bacteria such as
Conjunctivitis, Gonorrhea, and Tonsillitis were cured effectively. Death that caused by bacterial
diseases and infections were reduced dramatically. There were also many people died from
penicillin allergy or affected by other side effects of penicillin as well. Antibiotics saved many
of peoples lives but they are also affecting human immune system in a negative way. Chemist
Shane Ellison cautions that Today, antibiotics are a luxury that previous generations didn't
have. But antibiotic overuse is slowly killing us (Antibiotic Overuse, 2012). Antibiotics saved
many peoples lives since it was first discovered and put into use as medication for bacterial
infections. In the meantime, its harming people by weakening peoples immune system,
Allergy
usually harmless as a harmful substance for human body. Then the immune system will attack
the substance and causing allergic reactions such as erythema and rash. Most of the allergens are
EFFECTS OF ANTIBIOTICS 4
substances that are relatively new to human body. Antibiotics was discovered less than a century
ago. That means antibiotics is still relatively new for human body. So there is a high probability
that human body will be allergic to antibiotics. Thong and Tan (2011) point out that , in Korea,
32% of new drug hypersensitivity reactions was caused by antibiotics, and 47% of drug
allergies was caused by antibiotics. That means antibiotics can cause allergy and
hypersensitivity reactions easier than any other type of medicine because antibiotics is still
Some of the serious consequences of penicillin allergy are sudden drop in blood pressure
and blood volume, flushing, itching, and potentially respiratory compromise, bowel oedema,
and potential death(Bhattacharya, 2012). One of the most serious consequences of penicillin is
death. When penicillin was first introduced, it saved thousands of people. Meanwhile, many of
people died from penicillin allergy. The same thing is still happening today. About 400 people in
the United States die from penicillin allergy every year. Although antibiotics saved many
peoples lives, serious consequences caused by antibiotics allergic reactions still can not be
ignored.
Antibiotic Resistance
Besides serious allergic reactions, inappropriate use of antibiotics is also making the
bacteria adapted to the antibiotics. Originally, bacteria is not resistant to antibiotics. Antibiotics
resistant developed due to overuse of antibiotics over time. Ricardo Ramiro, a scientist who
a result of his experiment, the bacteria that is originally not resistant to antibiotics became
more resistant to a specific class of antibiotics, the aminoglycosides, and more sensitive to other
EFFECTS OF ANTIBIOTICS 5
that is originally not resistant to antibiotics has the potential and ability to become resistant to
antibiotics due to evolution. As time goes by, the bacteria will become more and more resistant
to the antibiotics. As a result of antibiotic resistance, antibiotics will not be able to attack the
bacteria that is harming human body. And immune system is not able to fight the bacteria that is
harmful.
Bacteria also has two sides just like antibiotics. There is bacteria that is harming human
body (such as Haemophilus), but there is bacteria that it benefiting human body (such as L.
acidophilus) as well. Some friendly bacteria can actually make human immune system stronger.
Antibiotics is a powerful medicine. It not only kills harmful bacteria but also kills friendly
bacteria. According to a research team at Yale University, overuse of antibiotics makes human
immune system weaker because Antibiotics quash the immune system's infection-fighting
Therefore, when antibiotics is getting rid of harmful bacteria in human body, its also harming
the bacteria that is friendly to human body. When the friendly bacteria is needed for human,
Using antibiotics inappropriately not only making the harmful bacteria stronger and
eventually became resistant to antibiotics, weaken the immune system, but also makes bacteria
became more sensitive to antibiotics. According to two studies from Isabel Gordo's laboratory,
at Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia (IGC, Portugal) as bacteria became adopted to the power of
immune system, bacteria became more resistant to some antibiotics and more sensitive to other
antibiotics (Resistance to Antibiotics, 2016). When too much antibiotics were used in a human
EFFECTS OF ANTIBIOTICS 6
body to get rid of harmful bacteria, harmful bacteria adapted to the power of antibiotics. As a
result, the ability of immune system to attack harmful bacteria had been weakened.
Antibiotics dependency begin to develop when antibiotics was overused. Ellison warns, if
the current use rate of antibiotics continus, eventually, there will be no defenses against
biological nasties. (Antibiotic Overuse, 2012). As human immune system adapted to antibiotics,
its ability to attack substances that is harming human body will be weaken. Immune system will
Its important to learn about the serious consequences of inappropriate use of antibiotics
but its also important to learn about the reasons behind inappropriate use of antibiotics. The
main reason why people using antibiotic drug inappropriately is that people are not knowing
can only be used for serious bacterial infections. But the reality is Most people don't know that
antibiotics are being overused or that they have alternatives. And that's dangerous(Antibiotic
Overuse, 2012). When bacterial infections occur, most peoples first reaction is to use
antibiotics because antibiotics is super powerful. For this reason, most people just dependent on
antibiotics when bacterial infections occur because they think other treatments just simply dont
work.
Van Opijnen claims that the essential function of antibiotics is to lower the volume of
bacteria in the body so the immune system can clear out the rest. But the immune system needs
to cooperate with the drug to be successful (Putting antibiotic-resistant bacteria, 2016). Most
people think when an infection was cured, antibiotics did all the job. However, this is not true.
EFFECTS OF ANTIBIOTICS 7
During the process of getting rid of an infection, antibiotics just helped the immune system to
get rid of the harmful bacteria that was causing infection. Immune system did most of the job
Antibiotics is powerful for bacterial infections such as Tetanus, Typhoid fever, and
Cholera. But many people use antibiotics as No. 1 treatment for illnesses such as common cold
and Flu (influenza) that caused by viruses. Antibiotics do nothing to destroy viruses or relieve
symptoms caused by viral illnesses. Still, antibiotics were commonly prescribed for such
illnesses(Antibiotics, 2015). Most people dont know the correct usage of antibiotics, they just
use antibiotics because it was prescribed by their doctors. In most peoples minds, antibiotics is
the most powerful treatment for any type of infections. When an infection occurs, people tend to
use antibiotics. But antibiotics doesnt help at all if it was a viral infection.
Conclusion
Antibiotics is one of the greatest discoveries in human. Antibiotics saved many lives, but
it also took many lives. Antibiotics was used by human for less than a century, its still relatively
new to human body. There are chances that humans being allergic to antibiotics. The most
serious antibiotic allergic reaction is death. Besides death, there are many other side effects that
caused by inappropriate use of antibiotics. Overuse of antibiotics causes bacteria becomes more
and more sensitive and resistant to antibiotics. Overuse of antibiotics also lead to weakened
immune system. The most common cause of antibiotic overuse is due to misunderstanding of
antibiotics.
EFFECTS OF ANTIBIOTICS 8
References
Antibiotics. (2015). In Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection. Detroit: Gale. Retrieved January
5, 2017.
Bhattacharya, S. (2010, January-March). The facts about penicillin allergy: A review. Journal of
20, 2016.
Chemist Shane Ellison: Antibiotic Overuse: Risks Outweigh Benefits. (2012, April 2). Health &
Putting antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the immune system under 'surveillance'. (2016, May 21).
Resistance to antibiotics and to immune system are interconnected in bacteria. (2016, July 23).
Saey, Tina Hesman. "Antibiotics may weaken flu fight: drugs hit beneficial bacteria that boost
immune system." Science News, 9 Apr. 2011, p. 14. General OneFile, Retrieved
December 4, 2016.
Thong, B. Y., & Tan, T. (2011, May). Epidemiology and risk factors for drug allergy. Retrieved