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"Reader Question: I know that antibiotics don&amp;#039;t fight colds, but are there any downsides to taking them &amp;quot;just in case&amp;quot;? If you have a cold, please don&amp;#039;t ask your doctor for an antibiotic. Colds are viral infections, and antibiotics kill bacteria\u2014not viruses. So if you have a cold (or another infection caused by a virus), taking antibiotics isn&amp;#039;t going to help at all. And yes, there are downsides: The CDC recently reported that as many as 142,000 people end up in the emergency room each year because of antibiotic side effects, which may include allergic reactions, stomach inflammation, rashes, nausea and vomiting. Certain types of antibiotics have also been linked to an increased risk of tendon inflammation and rupture. Taking antibiotics when you don&amp;#039;t need them is also dangerous because it increases the overgrowth of superbugs, bacteria that have become resistant to the antibiotics that are currently available. That means more people are developing serious bacterial infections and we don&amp;#039;t have any good tools to fight them. I want to hear from you, so e-mail me your questions at dailywd@womansday.com.  Disclaimer: Your seeking information on health related topics and/or Sandra Adamson Fryhofer, MD&amp;#039;s providing such information herein constitutes neither the solicitation of nor the provision of medical advice, services, care or treatment. Communication with Dr. Fryhofer on this website does not create a doctor/patient relationship. For concerns about your own particular medical condition, you should consult your own medical professional, who can examine and evaluate you. Communication on a website is not a substitute for taking an active role in your own medical care and treatment and being personally seen by a physician of choice in your area.  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.womansday.com/life/a41042/antibiotic-dangers-5518/>