Antibiotics can be lifesaving, but they are so often prescribed without good reason that they generate more drug side effects than any other class of medicines. On a personal level, antibiotics can cause mild to deathly side effects. Antibiotic overuse in the larger society has forced the widespread growth of drug resistant bugs, causing a global health crisis according to the World Health Organization. In this latest in the series of No-Nonsense Guides, Dr. Dolan describes a rational approach to appropriate antibiotic use or avoidance. This handy reference for many of the most common symptoms and illnesses discusses antibiotic characteristics and side effects in easy-to-understand language. As with Dr. Dolan's other SmartMEDinfo No-Nonsense Guides, this book is not 'anti-drug' but rather 'pro-informed consent' with the goal of empowering consumers to consider the risks and benefits of prescriptions for themselves.