After taking a couple of antibiot­ics, when patients start to feel better, or notice that most of the symptoms have disappeared, most of them stop taking the antibiotics. However, this may be a very bad decision. A pro­fessor at Weill Cornell Medical College, Dr. Carla Boutin-Foster, has recently stated that the main reason to take all the antibiotics that the doctor has prescribed is to avoid antibiotic resistance. If antibiotic resistance occurs, the bacteria are able to resist antibiot­ics which results in their abilities to multiply and survive. This can result in deadly infections that can spread very fast. In addition, skipping the antibiotics or even stop taking the doses too early may result in the antibiotic wiping out most of the bacteria and the remaining bacteria may re-infect or spread in the body. Lastly, Dr. Carla Boutin-Foster also stated that if a patient may feel sick again, the doctors will not know whether the pa­tient is feeling sick because of another infection or if it is because the patient has stopped taking the antibiotics. Antibiotics have many pros and cons. First off, antibiotics are helpful because they can cure vari­ous kinds of infections (i.e.tonsillitis, sinusitis, strep throat, etc.). In addition, antibiotics also do not have many side effects, especially when compared to other types of medicine. Furthermore, antibiot­ics are not too costly, taking the burden off the person purchasing them. However, antibiotics can also have several disadvantages. Although antibi­otics do not have many side effects, they can still contain some. Taking antibiotics can result in nau­sea, diarrhea, problems with digestion, and much more.

Antibiotics can also cause allergic reactions, depending on the patient’s drug allergies. Lastly, if a patient does not take the full dose prescribedby the doctor, the antibiotic will kill only some of the bacteria and can make the rest of the bacteria be resistant to antibiotics, which will result in future antibiotics’ defectiveness for the patient. Although it is important to take the amount of doses prescribed by the doctor, it is also necessary for the patient to make sure that antibiotics are the right cure for his or her illness and whether or not antibiotics suit his or her body. Antibiotics canhave many benefits but can also have disadvantages. Before taking the antibiotics, it is important to consider both the pros and cons and consult with a doctor.