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Saturday, 17 December 2016

Infection Control In The Modern Age

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By Mark Wagner


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 came on the scene like a miracle, making things like blood poisoning and gangrene only faint memories. However, they were not used only as medicine. Farmers began adding them to animal feed, and household products contained them as sanitizing agents. Doctors also began prescribing them for even minor illnesses, often in response to the patient's demands. This overdosing has caused some strains of bacteria to become resistant to the more common and readily available drugs.

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.

This is a frightening scenario, but alternative medicine may have answers. Natural therapists say that a strong immune system can handle any bacteria or virus. If the immune system becomes weakened, the body is vulnerable to contagion. Practitioners advocate a good diet of natural foods, an active lifestyle, a program of stress reduction, and the use of dietary supplements for prevention and treatment.

Immune system boosters are big business today. Probiotics, or beneficial gut bacteria, can help keep us healthy and our immunity strong. Vitamins like A, C, and E are known to help protect from contagion, and there are many herbs that fight colds, fevers, and viruses. Echinacea and elderberry are widely used. Even minerals are known to fight illness; zinc lozenges are sold for protection from colds and flu.

Silver is another mineral used as a natural antibiotic. It has been known since ancient times in one form or another to heal and protect. Roman soldier used it to treat wounds. Pioneers put silver coins in their milk barrels to keep the milk fresh while traveling. Space ships - and now municipalities - use it in water purification. Industrial tubes and pipes are disinfected with silver solutions.

Silver is considered a safe dietary supplement as long as it is not overused. Take too much of it and you can turn blue. However, this is a rare condition, only seen after long-term, excessive intake of the mineral. It you are afraid to use it regularly, it still might be good to have some on hand in case of emergency. It can be used topically to treat injuries or taken internally to ward off the Avian Flu or SARS. Although these claims are disputed by many health professionals, lots of private consumers swear by this health aid.

People used to use poultices, unpasteurized goat's milk, spiderwebs, mustard packs, and other folk cures to heal themselves and their families. It might be time to educate ourselves about these old time remedies; we just might need them.




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