Antibiotic Use May Now Be Linked to An Increase Risk of Colorectal Cancer PART II By Louisa Emhof
Antibiotics have become an everyday part of the medical world. They are used to fight bacterial infections and have saved millions of lives worldwide since their discovery. If you’ve ever had a bacterial infection, you're probably already pretty familiar with antibiotics. However, the prevalent overuse of antibiotics is leading to some serious unintended consequences. Although there have been remarkable benefits that antibacterial use has brought about, there is a dark side to it as well, such as an increased risk of colon cancer. Another problem that the overuse of antibiotics causes is antimicrobial resistance, which causes more dangerous forms of bacterial illnesses. Still, there’s no time to despair! Medical professionals and researchers are working hard to find alternatives to antibiotic treatments.
The Risks of Antibiotic Use Antimicrobial resistance, caused by the overuse and misuse of antibiotics, is one of the reasons that finding alternatives to antibiotic use is wise. Their life-saving effectiveness causes physicians and patients alike to rely heavily upon antibiotics, even for common bacterial infections. An example of the misuse of antibiotics is when they are prescribed for non-bacterial illnesses like colds and the flu.
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However, sometimes antibiotics are still prescribed for this. The overuse of antibiotics led to antimicrobial resistance by creating bacteria that are not affected by the medicine. Another big antibiotic-related concern is the link to increased risk of colon cancer. Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Rates of antibiotic use have skyrocketed since the 1980s, and scientists have also reported an alarming rise in colon cancer rates. What is especially concerning about this increased risk of cancer is that it affects people younger than 50 at a disproportionate rate. Additionally, a study found a "dose-dependent" aspect to the link between antibiotics and colon cancer. Essentially, this means that the different kinds and doses of antibiotics you take impact your risk level. So what's the solution here? Doctors, medical professionals, and researchers have been working hard to discover alternative ways to treat bacterial illnesses to avoid antibiotics' harmful effects.
The human body has many good bacteria in it that the antibiotics can't differentiate from the bad ones. This affects the balance of the microbiome in your gut and could be the link between the potentially cancer-causing aspect of antibiotics. Protecting the good bacteria in your body is essential, which is why looking into alternatives to antibiotics is a great way to approach your health.
