These days doctors and hospital staff are seeing germs they can't control with the antibiotics that used to fix everything. Antibiotics once seemed the perfect infection control, but they have been overused and bacteria have become resistant. International travel has increased, too, making it easier for disease from one region to spread to another. Alternative health gurus say that hope may lie in old time remedies that have almost been forgotten.
Antibiotics were once seen as miracle drugs, curing fevers and diseases that once were fatal. Blood poisoning and gangrene used to be real dangers, but the new drugs have made them rare today. However, adding antibiotics to animal feed, prescribing them too often for minor complaints, and using them in home sanitizing products have led to scary new strains of resistant germs. Doctors are encountering infections they can't handle.
This is of particular concern now that international travel is easy and there is unregulated immigration in many areas. People may have been infected with disease before they left home. Others may come from countries with little or no disease control and carry illnesses like tuberculosis. This disease had been almost eliminated in many areas, but it is now being seen again.
So what can people do to protect themselves? Natural healers tell us to strengthen our immune system. This defense against illness is part of the human body, but it can become weak and ineffective if care is not taken. An overload of stress, too much antibiotic use (as medicine, consumed in food, or used in sanitizing products for the home), and poor dietary and lifestyle choices can cause our natural defenses to fail.
Immune system boosters are now a multi-million dollar industry. Probiotics - supplements of beneficial bacteria to replenish the colonies in our digestive tract - are important. Herbs from around the world are known to be helpful in shielding us from bacteria and viruses. Echinacea is an American herb that fights colds and flu. Another is elderberry. Minerals are used, too; think of the zinc lozenges that people take for cold relief.
One natural antibiotic, which bacteria are not resistant to, is silver. The mineral has been used as a purifying and healing agent since ancient times. Travelers used to put silver coins in milk to keep it fresh. Modern research confirms silver's antibacterial properties, and it is widely used in water purification and industry to keep bacteria from flourishing in tubes and pipes. It is considered a safe dietary supplement, although care must be taken to know the quality of preparation and the purity of the product.
An overdose of silver can turn a person blue, but this rarely occurs. Those who are afraid of ruining their complexions might still want to keep a bottle of colloidal silver on hand for emergencies. If you think you might have been on a plane with a carrier of the Bird Flu or if you have a sore that won't heal, you can chug a dose or spray it on.
There are all kinds of home remedies for infection, from raw goat's milk to onion poultices and wraps made of spiderwebs. It just could be an old folk remedy that pulls you and your family through an illness or injury.
Antibiotics were once seen as miracle drugs, curing fevers and diseases that once were fatal. Blood poisoning and gangrene used to be real dangers, but the new drugs have made them rare today. However, adding antibiotics to animal feed, prescribing them too often for minor complaints, and using them in home sanitizing products have led to scary new strains of resistant germs. Doctors are encountering infections they can't handle.
This is of particular concern now that international travel is easy and there is unregulated immigration in many areas. People may have been infected with disease before they left home. Others may come from countries with little or no disease control and carry illnesses like tuberculosis. This disease had been almost eliminated in many areas, but it is now being seen again.
So what can people do to protect themselves? Natural healers tell us to strengthen our immune system. This defense against illness is part of the human body, but it can become weak and ineffective if care is not taken. An overload of stress, too much antibiotic use (as medicine, consumed in food, or used in sanitizing products for the home), and poor dietary and lifestyle choices can cause our natural defenses to fail.
Immune system boosters are now a multi-million dollar industry. Probiotics - supplements of beneficial bacteria to replenish the colonies in our digestive tract - are important. Herbs from around the world are known to be helpful in shielding us from bacteria and viruses. Echinacea is an American herb that fights colds and flu. Another is elderberry. Minerals are used, too; think of the zinc lozenges that people take for cold relief.
One natural antibiotic, which bacteria are not resistant to, is silver. The mineral has been used as a purifying and healing agent since ancient times. Travelers used to put silver coins in milk to keep it fresh. Modern research confirms silver's antibacterial properties, and it is widely used in water purification and industry to keep bacteria from flourishing in tubes and pipes. It is considered a safe dietary supplement, although care must be taken to know the quality of preparation and the purity of the product.
An overdose of silver can turn a person blue, but this rarely occurs. Those who are afraid of ruining their complexions might still want to keep a bottle of colloidal silver on hand for emergencies. If you think you might have been on a plane with a carrier of the Bird Flu or if you have a sore that won't heal, you can chug a dose or spray it on.
There are all kinds of home remedies for infection, from raw goat's milk to onion poultices and wraps made of spiderwebs. It just could be an old folk remedy that pulls you and your family through an illness or injury.
About the Author:
This online page has up-to-the-minute information about infection control that people need to know about. To learn more about our consulting services, visit the relevant website on http://jmboyceconsulting.com/about-us right now.