To Your Health
August, 2024 (Vol. 18, Issue 08) |
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Antibiotics and Immunity
By Editorial Staff
We've reportedly repeatedly on how early-age antibiotic use appears to impact childhood development of allergies and asthma. Now researchers appear to have discovered why it's happening: compromised immunity. It's all based on the fact that antibiotics deplete gastrointestinal (GI) bacteria – killing the "good" bacteria along with the bad, and negatively affecting the GI microbiome in the process.
Allergic reactions are based on a simple premise: Your body overreacts to harmless substances, recognizing them as threats instead and triggering an immune response that causes symptoms such as sneezing, itching, swelling, etc. According to new research, when gut bacteria are depleted, immune cells known as ILC2 cause white blood cells to produce excess antibodies. The result: an immune system poised to attack, even in the presence of a harmless invader.
Many people, parents included, don't realize that antibiotics are only effective against bacterial infections. That means if your child is suffering from a viral infection (cold, flu, etc.), antibiotics won't help. Unfortunately, too many parents want "something" to help their child during a doctor's visit, and too many medical doctors seem perfectly willing to prescribe antibiotics, even in the absence of a bacterial rationale.
It's also important to keep in mind that overuse of antibiotics can eventually make them less effective (known as antibiotic resistance), which means if your child actually does need an antibiotic for a bacterial infection, they might not work as well as they need to. The takeaway: Always ask your doctor the why and what questions before accepting a prescription – why is this absolutely necessary and what can I do instead of medication to help my child?
