Side effects of antibiotics in bronchitis
Since antibiotics usually attack not only the disease-causing or pathogenic bacteria, but also useful strains of bacteria in our body, taking them can lead to corresponding side effects. For example, the bacteria of the intestinal flora, which play an important role in the digestive process, or the lactic acid bacteria in the vagina are often affected. These have the function of maintaining an acidic pH value in the vagina.
Because of these functions, which are important for our body, taking antibiotics can lead to gastrointestinal complaints such as diarrhoea or flatulence, or even to a fungal infection of the vagina. In addition to these relatively common side effects, there is a wide variety of other possible side effects that may occur during antibiotic therapy, but they are extremely rare. Further details are given in the package insert.
How long is one infected with antibiotics for bronchitis?
Even if an antibiotic has been taken, bronchitis is still contagious for a certain period of time. This period of time cannot be named in general and depends on the type of pathogen on the one hand and the antibiotic given on the other. It can be assumed that there is still a risk of infection for others between 24 and 48 hours from the start of antibiotic intake.
But even with this statement caution is required, because in the case of a bacterial superinfection (second infection by bacteria after a bronchitis originally caused by viruses) the situation is again different. In such a case it is possible that after taking antibiotics there is no longer any danger of infection for the bacteria – but the danger of the originally disease-causing viruses is still present. For these reasons, no general statement can be made about the risk of bronchitis infection after antibiotics have been administered.
Antibiotic for bronchitis does not work
In most cases, antibiotics do not bring any clinical improvement in bronchitis, as they only help against bacteria. However, most bronchitis is caused by viruses, which is why antibiotics are completely useless. Instead, patients with bronchitis are better helped with simple home remedies.
For example, they should drink enough to make the viscous secretion in the airways more fluid and thus make it easier to cough up. If necessary, expectorants can be used. It is not necessarily advisable to take cough suppressants, as coughing up the mucus serves to cleanse the airways.
By suppressing the coughing stimulus, the infectious secretion is not removed from the respiratory tract and the healing of the bronchitis may be delayed. By resting and resting physically, the bronchitis usually heals on its own within a few weeks. – Gargling with sore throat
- Inhalation for a cold
