Antibiotics are a common first-line treatment for many symptoms, but it’s important to know that excessive or unnecessary use of these drugs can do more harm than we ever thought possible. It may increase your risk of allergies, asthma, colitis, Crohn’s and heart disease, and that’s just the beginning.

Everyone is aware of the assault that your stomach takes from antibiotics. You might think cramps and diarrhea are bad enough, but at least those are transient problems. New animal research suggests these drugs trigger Type 1 diabetes, especially when toddlers take them. In 2015, a Denmark study published in the “Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism” correlated the use of antibiotics to Type 2 diabetes in adults.

To hear that their use can trigger a lifelong metabolic disorder that requires insulin shots is infuriating. Think of the economic impact on families, and the terrible loss of quality of life—needle sticks, dietary restrictions and doctor visits forevermore.

Antibiotics wipe out probiotics, and when your microbiome is lacking friendly bacteria, the hateful ones take over. Your immune system becomes compromised. Changes in enzyme production and gene expression occur. This is what ultimately leads to the metabolic disaster, making you way more susceptible to diabetes and all the serious complications like heart disease, amputation, more infections and blindness.

Some antibiotics can also permanently destroy your nerve fibers. Doctors are pretty quick to prescribe antibiotics for your grandkids when they present skin rashes, earaches, sore throats or coughs. But between you and me, those physicians are often just guessing. They don’t know for sure if the bug is a virus or bacteria. Antibiotics won’t work if the infection is viral, yet the prescription is handed out almost immediately.

In the U.S., statistics show that approximately half of all antibiotic prescriptions written have no therapeutic basis. I personally think this is a gross underestimate. I think physicians should rethink prescribing antibiotics for everyone who walks in the door, or at least consider shorter terms of usage.

I know some readers take antibiotics every day. I just want you to be empowered and make an informed decision with your own physician about them.