When you suffer from an illness or infection, you sometimes experience antibiotic side effects during the treatment. This is of course a very bad feeling and does not always make recovery easy. Yet antibiotics can also do a lot of good for your body, but how do you get rid of the annoying side effects?
In this article, we look at antibiotic side effects, what there are and how you can best combat them.

What are antibiotics?

Antibiotics are medications often prescribed by a doctor to cure bacterial infections. The most common antibiotic treatments are treatments for bronchitis, pneumonia, and cystitis.
An antibiotic works by stopping the spread of bacteria, but sometimes it also kills the bacteria. Contrary to popular belief, antibiotics will not help treat a cold, the flu, or other viral illnesses.

What antibiotic side effects are there?

Antibiotic Side Effects1Depending on the type of antibiotic you are given, there are different side effects that you may experience. It depends on the person to what extent they suffer from this. One feels at most a little nauseous, while the other is sick in bed. In any case, these are the most common side effects.

1. Nausea

Most antibiotic side effects have to do with your stomach. You can suffer from nausea, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and sometimes vomiting.

2. Photosensitivity

Some antibiotics make you more sensitive to light. Your eyes may have a harder time getting used to bright lights, such as sunlight, and your skin may burn more quickly. Usually, these symptoms disappear when you finish the course.

3. Antibiotic Fever Side Effects

This too is common as antibiotic side effects. Fever can arise as an allergic reaction to the treatment, or to the treatment itself. The fever often goes away on its own, but at temperatures higher than 40 degrees it is wise to call your doctor.

4. Vaginal Yeast Infection

A vagina has a sensitive ecosystem. When people with a vagina take an antibiotic, the good bacteria can also be chased away. This can cause a vaginal yeast infection. This is very itchy and can also hurt.

5. Discolored Teeth

When you receive a course of antibiotics as a child, it can cause your teeth to discolor This mainly concerns tetracycline and doxycycline. People who are pregnant and take this treatment can unknowingly affect the milk teeth of their unborn child.

What do you do about antibiotic side effects?

Antibiotic Side Effects2Antibiotic side effects are no fun. That's why it's nice when you have a way to reduce or eliminate the effects. We've collected some tips that can help you reduce your side effects. The effects of these tips can also differ per person.

1. Take your antibiotic with food

With some courses of antibiotics, it may help to take them with food. In this way, you reduce the risk of complaints, such as nausea, cramps, and vomiting. Please discuss this with your doctor first.

2. Take a paracetamol or ibuprofen

Fever is not a pleasant experience, but there is little that can be done about it. However, you can take paracetamol or ibuprofen to reduce the symptoms. This medication is anti-inflammatory and therefore also effective against fever.

3. Use Probiotics Against Antibiotic Side Effects

Probiotics are products in which many healthy bacteria are present. These bacteria restore the balance in your body and can counteract unpleasant side effects. However, it is wise to take probiotics and antibiotics for a few hours apart to prevent the antibiotics from also attacking the probiotics.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *