Antibiotics - a double edged sword

I don't want to use this blog to point fingers at anyone.  I have respect for GP's, paediatricians and other specialists and I know they are using the tools they have to treat and prevent disease.  But I do want to make people aware of the options that are available when faced with health challenges.  I wish that conventional and complementary therapies can work together to give patients the best possible treatment and relief of symptoms (yet, these two types of therapists are still pointing fingers at each other instead of working together).

Today, I want to make you aware of the benefits and the danger of antibiotics.  Yes, antibiotics are miracle medicines.  Before the discovery of antibiotics many people died of infectious diseases like meningitis.  Today, antibiotics are a life saver to people suffering from serious bacterial infections.  I just want people to know that antibiotics cannot fix everything.  You should also know that taking antibiotics too frequently is bad for your health and those around you.  There are natural alternatives to antibiotics, read on....

I recently had a patient who has been on several courses of antibiotics.  She is only 2 years old and up to a few months ago she was a perfectly healthy child.  After moving to Johannesburg, this little girl started suffering from a runny nose, tonsillitis and ear infection.  By the time I saw her as a patient, she has had 6 courses of antibiotics, an operation to remove her tonsils and a grommets op - all in the space of two months!  She was still not better (in fact, I think she was worse off).

I was shocked!  Surely the paediatrician should have realised that the antibiotics are not working after the third or fourth course.  What is more is that with each course of antibiotics the bacteria that were present in her little body would have become more resistant to antibiotics. When her mom phoned the paediatrician again to ask him for advice, he suggested another course of antibiotics.  I told the mother that this would be useless - the bacteria present in her middle ear would be so resistant by now.  Another problem is that ear infections and tonsillitis are often caused by allergies or even viral infections.  Antibiotics can only treat bacterial infections.

The side effects of antibiotics are :  

• Antibiotics cannot differentiate between good and bad bacteria.  It destroys the beneficial bacteria too -especially in the intestines.  These good bacteria are necessary for proper digestion, they also manufacture certain vitamins (vit K and B vitamins) and they are part of your immune system.
• The more antibiotics are used, the more prone you will become to infections of the intestine e.g. candida infection and 'gastro'. 
• Frequent use of antibiotics can lead to the development of food allergies and other allergies
• Antibiotics can make your immune system less effective.  In one research study (published in the American Journal of Medicine in 1982, by Drs. William Hauser and Jack Remington) tetracycline was shown to suppress the function of white blood cells.
• They reduce the absorption of vitamin K, vitamin B12, folic acid, calcium and magnesium
• There is some evidence that antibiotics can cause developmental delays in children

My suggestion is to reserve antibiotic use for cases of 'life and death'.  If your child has meningitis - you should give antibiotics to him.  There are certain instances in which tonsilitis or sore throat can be very harmful to your child (this is called 'strep throat') - please give antibiotics if this is the case.

For milder health problems such as bronchitis, middle ear infections or colds and flu you should try natural alternatives first.  There are many 'natural antibiotics' - these include:  olive leaf extract, propolis, echinacea and homoeopathic remedies.  I suggest that you should find a natural health practioner that can give you guidance in treating mild illnesses the natural way.

I believe that the overuse of antibiotics is one of the main causes of children having so many allergies and frequent infections.

Use antibiotics only as your 'secret weapon' when a serious disease strikes!

Hallo!

I am a homoeopath and as such I am very passionate about helping people to feel better physically, mentally and emotionally.  I would like to show you that you have a lot of power - you can change your health.  If you have a chronic disease and you are on medication, you can feel even better by doing a few simple things (in addition to the medication) such as using the right homoeopathic remedies, supplements, tissue salts and herbs.  If you have an irritating acute problem such as hayfever - I will show you how to get over it more quickly and with less strong or dangerous medicines.  If you are feeling tired, stressed or run down - there are alternatives out there.  I will help you to navigate through the maze of complementary therapies (there is soooo much out there!).

If you are not sure what homoeopathy is, read on....

Homoeopathy is a form of medicine which originated in the late 18th Century in Germany.  Homoeopathic remedies contain substances from nature in very small quantities.  Homoeopathic remedies can be safely taken by babies, children, the elderly, animals or anyone else.  The reason why they are so safe is that they only contain the 'energy' or 'essence' of the original substance they were made of and not the chemicals found in the substance.  Homoeoapthic remedies stimulate your body to heal itself.  Symptoms are not suppressed as in conventional medicine.  Taking homoeopathic remedies for your ailments will gradually strengthen your immune system and you will also feel better emotionally.  If you want to know more about homoeopathy - let me know! 

 This blog is going to be packed with tips, advice and info that you can use to feel better the natural way. Please send me your questions and topics- I would love to discuss the things that are bothering YOU!