Most of us have benefited from taking antibiotics at some point in our life. They are much needed drugs and I am so happy that we have them! They save lives in so many different situations - but antibiotics should be saved for those situations when all else has failed or urgent situations where death or disability will result if something is not done immediately
. This is become even more true as we hear more and more about antibiotic resistance and fears that we won't have antibiotics to turn to if we continue down the path we are going down with the overuse of antibiotics.
So, maybe you wonder what can you do or why should care? If the doctor has prescribed antibiotics for my infection shouldn't I just use it?
I'd like to share with you a realistic perspective about antibiotics, how they affect your physical and mental/emotional health and what you can do when you do get an infection (before you reach for the antibiotics!).
Let me share a little bit about antibiotics, your body and its living ecosystem and alternative options.
Do you understand the impact of taking antibiotics on your body?
(And I'm talking about taking a SINGLE course of antibiotics!) Antibiotics kill bacteria. If you have a sinus or ear infection and you are given antibiotics, the antibiotics kill off the bacteria that is causing your infection. However, they also
kill the healthy bacteria that your body needs to keep itself healthy as well as bacteria in other areas of the body where you didn't have any infection. It's basically a massive bomb to every bacterium in your body. The thing is - you didn't need to kill all those bacteria.
So, what is the outcome of this massive antibiotic bomb on your body?
First, hopefully your infection cleared up (although to be honest, that's not always the case - and there's a number of reasons for that which I won't get into right now). Second, you may find that you have started to get other issues like diarrhea, stomach pain and maybe some candida (yeast) overgrowth.
These problems occur because antibiotics increase intestinal permeability
- what this simply means, is that your gut (the part of your body that is the second brain - helping immune health, supporting neurological function and healthy mood) gets little holes in it and you can develop symptoms such as development of or an increase in food sensitivities and problems such as anxiety, depression and other emotional issues
.
In addition, the problem with wiping out your bacteria population bacteria exist in every area of our body and are a part of a living ecosystem that maintains our immune system, gut and brain health, hormonal function
and more!
When we do a widespread kill we wreak havoc on our ecosystem and the resulting weakness means that we create space for bacteria, viruses and other pathogens to take up residence in places they shouldn't be or in larger numbers than they should be which can create imbalances and lead to other infections such as candida (yeast), impetigo, recurrent infections
. This is just to name but a few problems with the antibiotic bomb we've dropped in our bodies.
So what can be done if you already have taken antibiotics?
The good thing about our bodies is that they can heal. If you've taken one or multiple courses of antibiotics you may have a variety of different issues - from food sensitivities, chronic digestive issues, anxiety, joint pain, chronic inflammation, recurrent colds and infections and candida to name a few. The damage that you've suffered can vary depending on your own personal health so my suggestion are not going to work for everyone. If you have chronic infections, poor immunity, gut dysbiosis, allergies/food sensitivities and on-going health issues I'd highly recommend you work with someone like myself to help your body heal itself.
But if you are looking for some basic suggestions I'd start with increasing your intake of probiotic foods (kombucha, kefir, dairy-free yogurt, sourkraut, kimchi, etc.) to replenish good bacteria and ensure that you are getting good quality fruits & veggies to support the new bacteria you're introducing. I'd also recommend L-Glutamine supplements to heal that gut lining.
What can you do if you develop a bacterial infection that requires antibiotics and you want to try something natural?
If there's one thing I do know, it's that homeopathic remedies have a proven effective track record for infections of every kind - dental, eye, ear, skin, gut/bowel, etc. - and they will not cause all that damage to your body
. Some infections can be treated with your own homeopathic kit ( buy your own here
) but sometimes you'll need to work with a professional homeopath
to deal with the infection - especially if you are dealing with recurrent/chronic infections as they require a more in-depth approach.
A homeopathic remedy that is well prescribed can not only heal the infection but can improve immune system strength.
A short testimonial
- I worked with a client who had received multiple dental implants. She was having a lot of pain which the dental surgeon attributed to an infection although he could not identify it on any x-rays. Eventually she came to me as she wasn't getting better and she did not want to start another (her 4rth cycle!) round of antibiotics. I was able to prescribe her a homeopathic medicine and the pain disappeared. Furthermore, she did not have any symptoms of infection and she did not deal with any antibiotic side effects even after all three courses of antibiotics!
So, in the future - consider using homeopathy! And if you are looking for some help in treating common infections you can always book a short consult!
