Is this you: You have a sinus infection or bladder infection; you
seek medical care and are prescribed an antibiotic; after you stop
taking the antibiotic, your symptoms return, causing you to see the
medical doctor again for more antibiotics? Before you know it, your
symptoms do not go away and you are taking more and different
antibiotics for longer and longer periods of time.
Or perhaps you are taking an antibiotic daily in an attempt to keep symptoms of an infection at bay?
Unfortunately,
you are not alone. Antibiotics are the leading prescribed class of
drugs in the United States, with an estimated 84 million prescriptions
being written annually during office visits, and another 40 million
prescriptions after discharge from hospitals (CDC, AIA). It is also
estimated by the Centers for Disease Control, that only 10% of these
antibiotic prescriptions are warranted.
The Three Major Causes of Infections...
Not
all infections are alike, even though they seem to cause the same
general symptoms: pain, swelling, redness, discharge, fever, aching, and
general fatigue. However, the agents that cause the infection are
different:
Viruses. Viruses are small pieces of genetic code that
enter a susceptible cell and take over its functions, telling that cell
to make more of the virus. The immune system quickly destroys viruses
once they are detected. Viruses "run their course", meaning each virus
has a usual time limit where it causes signs of an illness before the
immune system destroys it. Viruses account for nearly 75% of all ear,
sinus and upper respiratory infections.
Fungus. Fungi are a type
of mold. Inside everyone's body (in their ears, nose, vagina, bladder,
bowel and intestines) a special type of fungus exists. It is
Candida albicans. This fungus needs to be present to protect the body and to help the intestines break down food. When there is too much
Candida, it can produce the signs of an infection. The Mayo Clinic estimates that
Candida infections account for 98% of all recurrent infections, and about 15% of new infections.
Bacteria.
Bacteria are cells in themselves. When they enter a susceptible body
area, they multiply and make more bacteria cells. A healthy immune
system can destroy bacteria; if the immune system is not strong enough, a
bacterial infection can continue. Bacterial infections account for
approximately 10% of all infections.
Parasites. These are listed
because parasitical infections can occur. Most of the time, these type
of infections occur from uncooked pork products. Some scientists
estimate that everyone on the planet has a parasitical infection and has
contributed many health concerns to parasites. However, many people do
not have signs of an infection from parasites. Less than 1% of
infections are the result of parasites.
How Antibiotics Work...
There
are 17 different classes of antibiotics; however, each class works in a
similar manner. Every antibiotic is either a general ("broad-spectrum")
or specific ("focused") antibiotic. A broad-spectrum antibiotic is
designed to eliminate a variety of similar bacteria. A focused
antibiotic targets only one or two specific bacteria. If you did not
receive a test prior to your being prescribed an antibiotic, you
would've been prescribed a broad-spectrum antibiotic; nearly all
prescribed antibiotics are broad-spectrum.
Notice that antibiotics
target BACTERIA. Bacteria are cells in themselves. Our body is made up
of many cells. Cells are individual units within the body that are
separated from other cells by a shell, as it were. The shells of
bacteria are different from the shells of the cells in our body.
Therefore, your immune system can seek out and identify what is not part
of the body.
An antibiotic can do the same thing. When a person
takes an antibiotic, it looks for the shells that have a certain
identifier; it then destroys those cells by, in essence, cutting a hole
in the bacteria's shell. The cell dies, hence the bacteria dies.
Unfortunately,
broad-spectrum antibiotics do not know the difference between good
bacteria and those causing an infection. Our bodies contain bacteria
that are necessary for food digestion, vitamin and mineral absorption,
and mucous membrane nourishing. When an antibiotic is working, it will
destroy these bacteria as well.
(It should be noted that special
"antibiotics" are for parasitical infections (such as Actelion), viral
infections (such as Tamiflu) and fungal infections (such as Mycostatin
or Lamisil). These are not the ones discussed in this article, as these
are rarely prescribed and are not the ones prescribed in abundance.)
What about the Other Causes of Infections?
As antibiotics
only work on bacteria,
they will not work on viruses, fungal infections or parasites. If you
take an antibiotic for an infection that is caused by a virus, parasite
or fungus,
the infection will not get better.
But I Feel Better When I Take an Antibiotic...
The
signs of an infection are actually signs that the immune system is
fighting the infection. When an antibiotic is taken, the healing efforts
of the body are halted because a new, more toxic matter has entered the
body. The infection is harmful (which is why your body was fighting
it), but toxic, chemical substances are more harmful so dealing with
them takes priority for the health of the body. Even if the infection is
being caused by a virus, the symptoms of that infection will diminish
or disappear because the body has something more harmful to focus on.
Remember: the signs of an infection are the immune system fighting the
infection. Without the immune system fighting the infection, the
symptoms will diminish or disappear until the drug is gone or "handled"
by the body.
Is Repeated (Chronic) Use of Antibiotics Safe?
Not
counting allergic reactions to antibiotics, there are many documented
cases of adverse reactions, the most common being diarrhea and nausea.
In the digestive system (intestines and stomach) are good bacteria that
help with digestion and assimilation of nutrients. When these good
bacteria are killed by the antibiotic, digestion is disrupted and the
good yeast
(Candida albicans) that exists in the intestines has
more space to grow, so it does. Remember, yeast is not killed by
antibiotics. Not only is there yeast over-growth, but there can be
decreased nutrient absorption and a difficulty breaking down foods that
are eaten, resulting in diarrhea and a risk of nutrient deficiencies.
Another
not-often-discussed effect is, in effect, immune suppression. As
mentioned earlier, the immune system slows down when the body has to
deal with chemical toxins/foreign substances. If a person has a virus,
the virus will continue to make more of itself, unhindered by an immune
system. Once the antibiotic is stopped, the virus will show itself
again, but it will be stronger because it has had the opportunity to
take a stronger hold. Also, the fungal infection discussed in the
previous paragraph will get worse over the course of the antibiotic; it
too was not hindered by an immune system. With yeast being everywhere in
the body, it is possible that the signs of a recurrent infection in the
sinuses or bladder, for example, are being caused by yeast. As
mentioned earlier,
the Mayo Clinic believes that 98% of recurrent infections are the result of YEAST, not bacteria, so recurrent antibiotics in these cases would not help the situation.
Chronic
Fatigue Syndrome has been associated with chronic infections, a result
of the weakened healing responses from chronic antibiotic usage.
A
new concern that has arisen concerns auto-immune disorders. It has been
suggested and is now being studied that taking immune-boosting
supplements while taking antibiotics increases the risk of a person
developing an auto-immune disorder, as the immune system becomes
confused when it is being both suppressed and boosted at the same time.
Another
problem with chronic antibiotic usage (it won't be discussed here,
however) is the development of "super-bugs," bacteria that cannot be
destroyed by any typical antibiotics because they (the bacteria) had
been exposed to antibiotics so often that they are now "immune" to them.
How Can the Cycle Be Broken?
The
immune system is designed to seek out and neutralize any invaders,
whether they are bacterial, viral, parasitical, fungal or other. The
stronger the immune system, the quicker the response will be to these
foreign invaders.
There are many herbal supplements available that
taut being "immune enhancing" or "immune strengthening". Some of the
most common herbal immune supporting herbs are: echinacea, elderberry
and goldenseal. The most common vitamin is Vitamin C.
HOWEVER!!!
If you are taking an antibiotic, DO NOT take any supplement that may
boost the immune system! Remember, an antibiotic is indirectly
suppressing the immune system; taking a supplement to boost the immune
system will confuse the immune system and could lead to an auto-immune
response.
One of the best ways to break the antibiotic cycle is to support the body through homeopathy.
Homeopathic medicines can be used safely with antibiotics or herbal
supplements, as homeopathy works to restore the balance to the body's
healing ability; homeopathics don't work directly with the immune
system, but work to make it more effective when it is ready to be more
active.
Homeopathy also works with your body to eliminate the
reasons that infection strikes and takes hold. As homeopathic medicines
are not an "antibiotics", they don't care what is causing the infection,
only that an infection or foreign entity is present and needs to be
removed. They work quickly to restore balance, but they are gentle in
action. Homeopathy does not shut anything down or inhibit any natural
body process-they support eh body's ability to act.
What Else Can I Do?
Remember
that diseases don't occur in a vacuum, meaning that there is no one
reason why a disease strikes and why it may stay around. Always consider
the emotions that are stirred up by the disease, or the emotions that
may've started the troubles. Each area in the body holds some emotions
more strongly than others; for example, the bladder holds fear; the
nose, sadness and despair.
Also look at your living and work
environments. If you have a chronic sinus infection, do you live in a
home that has mold? Do you work in an area that has been freshly
painted? Look at your personal habits. Do you frequently hold your
bladder so you go to the bathroom only twice daily? Do you smoke?
It
is also a good idea to supplement your diet with Probiotics, such as
acidophilus. With antibiotics destroying the good bacteria in the body,
these good bacteria need to be replaced. There are many acidophilus or
probiotic formulas on the market; or eat a yogurt daily, one that has
"live yogurt cultures."
Know This...
If you want to break
the antibiotic cycle and stop suffering, know that it can be done! You
have the symptoms of an infection because your body is fighting to get
rid of it, meaning that all you have to do is give it a little help and
the body will do the rest. You don't have to suffer the remainder of
your days; you don't have to put your life, creativity and joy on hold
because of a chronic infection. Know that there are options. Know that
you can be free of your suffering.
When it's time to heal, call me. I will listen to you.
Best wishes,