Category: infections, vaccination, and hygiene

3 Common Drugs You May Not Need

In this article I warn about commonly used medications that offer limited benefits while posing significant risks, especially for older adults. Patients should regularly review medications with healthcare professionals and avoid stopping drugs abruptly.

I’m sharing an article I found at KFF Health News. It caught my attention because I’ve written a similar article about overused drugs.

We applaud the introduction of new drugs that can save a life or treat an untreated chronic condition. But many drugs are used inappropriately, either because they are ineffective for that purpose or unnecessary for anything.

This article focuses on drugs used in older adults, but the issue is not unique to that age group. The point is to only use drugs when there is a reason to do so, when you and your doctor identify a specific goal to achieve. Otherwise, you may waste your money and possibly endanger your health.

3 Common Drugs Older Adults Might Be Overusing

By Paula Span, Sep

The scenario often unfolds like this: Medical researchers investigate a frequently used drug and report that it’s less effective for older patients than previously thought, or that its risks outweigh its benefits in older adults. More studies follow, confirming those findings.

After a few years, medical associations revise their guidelines, warning that the drug in question should be avoided or at least prescribed more selectively. It might be added to the Beers Criteria, an influential list of potentially inappropriate medications for older patients, published by the American Geriatrics Society.

If the drug’s role is preventive, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent expert panel, may weigh in with cautions. The FDA may issue “black box” warnings about concerning side effects.

After a few more years, researchers look at broad national data to see whether use of this drug declined. Often, the answer is: Yes, but not enough. Sometimes, though, use didn’t decline much at all or actually increased.

“Medications are like barnacles, They’re easy to start, but they can be hard to stop.”

said Michael Steinman, a geriatrician at the University of California-San Francisco and co-director of the U.S. Deprescribing Research Network.

This medical inertia partly reflects the time lag involved in disseminating findings. “Clinicians have a million things they need to know and attend to, and information may take a while to get to them,” Steinman said.

But it also reflects the way “clinicians and patients get used to treating conditions in certain ways,” he said. “They become ingrained habits.” Finding alternative approaches is challenging, so “it’s easy to go with what you know.”

Recent studies of three medications or classes of drugs widely used among older Americans illustrate the problem.

The Drawbacks of Benzodiazepines

Scientists began raising alarms about benzodiazepines more than 20 years ago. Prescribed for insomnia and anxiety, “they offer prompt relief,” said Mark Olfson, a psychiatrist and epidemiologist at Columbia University.

The problem? Benzodiazepines (including Valium, Xanax, and Ativan) and the related “Z” drugs (Ambien, Lunesta) “may impair balance, coordination, and cognition that can translate into falls and fractures and motor vehicle accidents,” Olfson said. In patients also taking opioids for pain, benzodiazepines can cause overdoses.

Moreover, “once you’ve taken them for a period of time, you develop a dependence,” Olfson added. “When you come off them, you may develop withdrawal symptoms.”

So what’s happened to benzo use among older adults, who are more sensitive to these effects? In a recent examination of prescribing trends, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, Olfson and his team reported progress. Among people 65 and older, the rate of patients filling prescriptions for benzos dropped to 11.5% in 2024, from about 14% in 2015.

But that decline has stalled since 2020, perhaps related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, prescribed use actually rose among those over 75, from 12% in 2020 to about 13% four years later.

Dispensing through pharmacies in long-term care facilities more than doubled. And about a third of users were taking the drug for longer than six months, increasing the likelihood of dependence. “It’s worrisome,” Olfson said.

But he cautioned that patients shouldn’t stop benzodiazepines suddenly or on their own, which can provoke withdrawal. “It requires supervised tapering” with a medical professional, he said. “It takes many weeks.”

When Antibiotics May Not Help

For years, the standard treatment for diverticulitis, the inflammation or infection of small pouches that form in the colon, was antibiotics, primarily fluoroquinolones (like Cipro and Levaquin) or amoxicillin-clavulanate (Augmentin).

“It was unquestioned,” said Jesse Sutton, a pharmacist and researcher at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs healthcare system. “Antibiotics are safe and effective, great, lifesaving drugs, so the mindset was: When in doubt, use them.”

But in 2015, the American Gastroenterological Association recommended against routinely prescribing antibiotics for “uncomplicated” diverticulitis, which represents a great majority of cases. Other medical groups followed suit.

Clinical trials had shown that, for this condition, antibiotics had little or no effect on mortality, the need for surgery, complications, or recurrences. “They hadn’t improved anything,” Sutton said.

And as with any drug, “there are downsides, unintended consequences,” he said. “Side effects from antibiotics account for a substantial amount of emergency room visits” for symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Antibiotics heighten the risk of the virulent C. difficile infection, too.

Plus, “the more you use antibiotics, the less they work in the future,” Sutton said. The World Health Organization has deemed antimicrobial resistance “a major global health threat.”

So Sutton and his colleagues, studying treatment in 70,000 visits to 120 VA facilities, expected to see antibiotic use for uncomplicated diverticulitis decline over 10 years.

Instead, they reported recently in the Annals of Internal Medicine that antibiotic prescriptions remained nearly universal at 97% of visits, guidelines or no guidelines. The patients would most likely have done as well with a few days of Tylenol and a clear liquid diet.

Antibiotic overuse remains common for other conditions of later life, too, including the kind of urinary tract infections that cause no troublesome symptoms and upper respiratory infections that are typically viral, not bacterial.

In such cases, when a doctor prescribes an antibiotic, “I’d encourage patients to say, ‘Please explain the rationale for doing this,’” Sutton said. “If they don’t, it’s OK to press pause.”

When Aspirin Isn’t the Answer

Aspirin is different. Because it’s cheap and sold over the counter, anybody can start taking it on their own — and millions of older Americans do, thinking it will help prevent cardiac problems.

For people who’ve already had a heart attack, stroke, or cardiac intervention like a stent or bypass surgery, daily low-dose aspirin for “secondary prevention” does lower the odds of another event, studies have demonstrated.

But for “primary prevention” in people who haven’t had one, the guidelines changed in 2019, when the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association recommended against aspirin for this purpose in those 70 or older. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force went further, warning against aspirin for primary prevention starting at age 60.

Large clinical trials had shown scant benefit for aspirin as a primary prevention measure, but there were harms, notably gastrointestinal bleeding. “As we age, the risks of bleeding go up,” said Timothy Anderson, an internist at the University of Pittsburgh who co-directs its Prescribing Wisely Lab. More rarely, but more seriously, aspirin can cause bleeding in the brain.

In a JAMA study published last year, Anderson and his co-author found the message was getting through: Aspirin use for primary prevention, as reported in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, had dropped substantially from 2011 to 2023. But more than a third of those 70 or older were still taking it.

Some caveats: A subgroup of older adults with high risk factors for cardiovascular disease may benefit from aspirin for primary prevention. And, confusingly, some evidence suggests that older patients already taking aspirin face a higher risk of cardiovascular disease if they discontinue it.

“Step 1 is a conversation with your primary care physician” about aspirin, Anderson said. “‘Is this still right for me as I get older?’”

Older patients taking aspirin, many without any medical guidance, “are interested in reducing their risk of heart attack and stroke,” he said. “They’re trying to be proactive and healthy.” But with blood pressure medications and statins for cholesterol, “we have better strategies than aspirin for that.”

The New Old Age is produced through a partnership with The New York Times.

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.

This article first appeared on KFF Health News and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Review prevention of heart disease here.

7 Steps to a Healthy Heart

Read about my 7 overused drugs here.

7 Overused Medications

Fear vs. Focus

We shouldn’t fear using medication; instead, focus on using it wisely. After reading this article, what questions do you have about the medications you use, whether prescribed or self-selected?

Consider writing down your questions now to be prepared for the next time you visit your physician. Your doctor should evaluate all the medicine you take, even those non-prescription. Drugs don’t know the difference.

Exploring the HEART of Health

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I share information and inspiration that sparks transformation in your body, mind, and spirit.

You can follow this blog in two easy ways. One is to put your email address into the box below.

Another way is to follow me on Facebook, where I share new posts, timely topics, photos, and an occasional cartoon.

Watercress Words by Dr. Aletha

Dr. Aletha

Tick-Borne Diseases: Smart Tips for Prevention

This post will help you understand and avoid health risks from ticks. Ticks pose a growing risk for diseases in the U.S., particularly in warmer climates. Lyme disease and Alpha-gal syndrome are among the most common illnesses caused by ticks. Preventative measures include using repellents, wearing protective clothing, and timely tick removal to minimize disease transmission.

As a practicing family physician, I occasionally saw patients concerned about a tick bite. Most of the time, they had already removed the tick but were concerned about the possibility of an infection. I was usually able to reassure them that the tick had not been attached long enough to transmit a disease. If they had symptoms or were not sure how long the tick had been on their body, I would prescribe an antibiotic to cover the most likely infection.

Humans can catch infectious diseases in multiple ways. The pathogens that make us sick can enter our bodies through water, food, the air, and even direct contact with other people or their bodily fluids like blood.

Another source is contact with animals, including ones we may not see. The vast majority of these, the vector-borne diseases, are caused by ticks, mosquitoes, fleas, flies, and lice.

Ticks are small arachnids in the mite family that feed on the blood of mammals and birds. Ticks can transmit bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can cause illness in humans and animals

The most common tick-borne diseases in the U.S. include Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Symptoms typically include flu-like fever, chills, and fatigue, but can also involve unique indicators like a “bullseye” rash (Lyme disease). Most bacterial infections are successfully treated with antibiotics, making early diagnosis crucial. [1, 2, 3, 4]

This 2007 photograph depicts the pathognomonic erythematous rash in the pattern of a bull’s-eye, referred to as erythema migrans. The rash manifested at the site of a tick bite, on this Maryland woman’s posterior upper arm, signifying a case of Lyme disease, caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, and transmitted to humans, by the bite of infected blacklegged ticks.CDC/ James Gathany, public domain

Ticks can also cause non-infectious diseases. Tick paralysis is caused by a toxin in the tick’s saliva. Symptoms include weakness or even paralysis that gradually moves up the body.

Another example is the alpha-gal syndrome, AGS, discussed in this article. People with AGS can have an allergic reaction after eating red meat or being exposed to products containing alpha-gal.

Tick bites are surging in the US this year. Here’s what to know.

by Amelia Twyman, Oklahoma Voice
July 6, 2026

WASHINGTON — The prime time for ticks is here in the United States, and after an especially active start to the season, experts are urging the public to stay alert and take preventive measures. 

Monthly emergency department visits for tick bites in April spiked to their highest level since 2017 and continued to remain high throughout May and June, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s tick bite tracker.

Though it’s hard to predict what the rest of the season will look like, given that tick activity depends on a number of different factors, there has definitely been a recent geographic expansion of the area ticks inhabit, said Pilar Fernandez, a disease ecologist and assistant professor at Washington State University. 

The tiny blood-suckers, which tend to thrive in warmer climates, are spreading to places that used to be too cold for their existence, she said during a July 1 SciLine media briefing, as temperatures rise in the United States and around the world.

With more ticks comes a greater risk of individuals developing tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease, Alpha-gal syndrome and anaplasmosis. That’s why researchers are encouraging people to know their facts and learn how to protect themselves from bites as they venture outdoors. 

What’s going on this year?

According to the CDC, an estimated 31 million people are bitten by ticks each year, with most encounters taking place between April and October. But in 2026, ER visits began rising as early as March. 

Weekly ER trips for tick bites are also up in every U.S. region except for South Central as of June 28, the online tick tracker shows. 

Global warming is certainly one reason behind this recent surge in tick activity, though Fernandez said the whole picture is much more complicated.

Because ticks can live for up to two to three years, it’s difficult to understand the delayed seasonal effects of increased temperatures or precipitation on their population, she said.

Other factors including local environmental conditions and how much time people spend outside can have an impact on annual tick encounters, she added. 

Every spring and summer, she said, people ask her if it’s going to be a “big year” for ticks, which is “a really hard question to answer, because it’s not equal across all locations.” 

Most tick cases are recorded in the Northeast and Midwest, but different species of ticks are found in every region of the country. And as the population expands into areas where people are unaware of how to protect themselves and unaccustomed to checking for bites, the threat of contracting a tick-borne infection grows, Fernandez said. 

Tick-borne diseases

Ticks carry pathogens that they then pass on to humans by biting into their skin and feeding on their blood. An untreated tick bite can lead to the development of one of nearly 20 different human diseases in the U.S., the most common of which is Lyme disease — about 476,000 patients are treated annually, according to the CDC. 

Another tick-borne infection that has been on the rise is Alpha-gal syndrome, which causes people to experience a serious allergic reaction after they eat red meat or other animal products that contain the sugar molecule alpha-gal. It is most commonly associated with the lone star species of tick distributed throughout the Northeastern, Southern and Midwestern United States. 

Haemaphysalis longicornis  ticks, commonly known as the longhorned tick. The smaller of the two ticks on the left, was a nymph. The larger tick was an adult female. Males are rare.
 CDC, James Gathany, public domain

Initial symptoms of tick-borne illnesses are unspecific and often the same as those that come with regular sickness, such as a fever, headache, muscle aches and joint pain, according to Alvaro Toledo, an associate professor in the Department of Entomology at Rutgers who also spoke at the July 1 media briefing. 

“Physicians need to be vigilant and aware if they receive a patient with symptoms that are compatible with a tick-borne disease,” he said.

What if you find a tick?

If one discovers a tick on the skin, Toledo said the proper response is to first quickly remove the tick with tweezers by pinching and pulling it up in a vertical motion, then disinfecting the area and monitoring for signs of sickness. 

People should not, on the other hand, deal with a tick by burning it off or applying petroleum jelly to the bite, said University of Wisconsin-Madison Assistant Professor Adela Oliva Chavez, a tick researcher, at the briefing. 

“Those are myths,” she warned. 

Ticks typically do not transmit infection until after they have been attached to the skin for 24 hours, which is why the CDC recommends people aim to remove the pests as soon as possible within the first day.   

However, experts say the most effective way to prevent tickborne disease in humans is by limiting exposure to ticks in the first place.  

Toledo said people should use chemical sprays such as permethrin on their clothing and classic bug repellents on their skin to keep ticks away. It’s also a good idea to wear long, light-colored clothing when spending time in forests and other highly vegetated areas where ticks are abundant. 

But, he added as a reminder to the public, there is “no zero-risk zone anywhere when you go out … even in your backyard, risk is not zero.” 

Individuals can further reduce their chance of acquiring a tick bite by checking their pets just as often themselves, according to Oliva Chavez. Dogs and cats can easily bring ticks into the house from outside, and if they aren’t yet attached to the animal’s flesh, they can make their way onto humans, she said. 

Oklahoma Voice is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oklahoma Voice maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Janelle Stecklein for questions: info@oklahomavoice.com. Article reprinted here under Creative Commons license.

Cover Image

from the Public Health Image Library, CDC

“Keeping your furry pets healthy includes keeping them clean, as well. Together, this family was in the process of washing their Labrador retriever outside in the fresh air. With help from two neighbor girls, the mother, young daughter, and son, were all soaping down the dog’s coat, while the father was steadying the pet using a leash and his hand.

By washing down his coat, chances for the animal to bring contaminants indoors, is highly reduced. After returning from the outdoors, pets can bring allergens, disease vectors such as ticks and fleas, and pathogens from other animals indoors, thereby exposing the entire family to these dangers. One should remember to wash his/her hands after finishing this activity.”

CDC/ Dawn Arlotta, public domain

Exploring the HEART of Health

Thank you for reading this post. I strive to make them worth your time.

I share information and inspiration that sparks transformation in your body, mind, and spirit.

You can follow this blog in two easy ways. One is to put your email address into the box below.

Another way is to follow me on Facebook, where I share new posts, timely topics, photos, and an occasional cartoon.

Watercress Words by Dr. Aletha

Dr. Aletha