BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Doctors say patients have come to expect antibiotic prescriptions even for conditions the drugs won't treat, including most sore throats, coughs, and children's ear infections. Not only will antibiotics not help these illnesses, they can even harm a patient's health.

A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that side effects from antibiotics send 142,000 Americans to the emergency room each year.

Eighty percent of the side effects were serious allergic reactions, ranging from rash up to anaphylactic shock -- penicillin caused the most incidents.

Infants under the age of 1 had the highest rate of side effects due to antibiotics, and women of all ages were more likely to have reactions than men.

The vast majority of patients were taking the drugs as directed, meaning the pills carry inherent risk that can only be avoided by reducing their use.