If dust, animals, pollen and other things cause you to have asthma or make you sneeze and wheeze, these reactions could be the cause of antibiotics taken years earlier. Over-use of antibiotics may be linked to asthma and allergies according to a study conducted at the University of Michigan Medical School. After their team of researchers subjected mice to rounds of antibiotics, they found that the mice contracted allergies. These findings were further supported by other epidemiological studies that found increased rates of asthma where antibiotic use was prevalent. In fact, cases of asthma in the United States grew a whopping 75% from 1980-1994.
As we grew to rely on antibiotics to fight our illnesses, we began to underestimate our body’s natural ability to fight off disease. In doing so, we denied our immune systems the necessary experience needed to fight illnesses and weakened the body’s defenses to fight future battles. As spring approaches and allergies begin to take their toll, think about doing things that will naturally boost your body’s immune system and leave the drugs at the drug store.