Avoiding Antibiotics To Treat Illness

Imagine getting sick one day, assuming it is the plain old flu, and being so sick a few days later that you are admitted to the hospital. No treatments work, you get sicker and sicker, and everyone you encounter also falls sick. In 2012, that seems pretty unlikely, right?

Not if you are exposing yourself (and your children) to antibiotics. Certainly taking antibiotics for an infection will not instantly create a super bug, but a pattern of antibiotic usage does make it a lot more likely that as diseases develop and adapt to immune systems, we will be unable to treat these diseases using current technology. Each time that you take an antibiotic, you will need a stronger version of the same drug—or a stronger drug—to treat the next infection. Eventually, some diseases mutate to be resistant to all antibiotics, leaving doctors with very few resources left to treat you. It’s important that you use herbal remedies for simple, relatively mild infections so that your body will be able to properly utilize antibiotic prescriptions.

Unique Risks To Kids

Because your child’s immune system is still developing, it is important to keep of track of exactly what they are exposed to. Living off the grid definitely breeds an appreciation for just how common carcinogens and harmful chemicals are, because you are substituting homemade goods for things that most people use processed versions of. That means you are already substantially decreasing exposure to potentially harmful substances.

Doctors are prescribing antibiotics for children’s illnesses at skyrocketing rates—according to one study, “1 out of every 5 visits in ambulatory pediatric patients” resulted in a prescription for an antibiotic. There are certainly side effects to antibiotic usage by children—think diarrhea, rashes, and allergic reactions—but that is certainly not the worst of it. The more they consume antibiotics, the stronger the medicine they will need next time to fight off the same infection, rather than developing their immune system to naturally fight off those infections.

Viral Or Bacterial?

Antibiotics cure bacterial infections, not viral ones, so feel free to stay away from antibiotics when you or your kids are faced with illnesses like a cold, flu, or anything along those lines. However, when you are dealing with bacterial pneumonia, strep throat, or recurring/persistent ear infections, you should err on the side of caution and request (if your doctor has not already suggested) an antibiotic. You should be especially careful with recurring ear infections, as they can lead to long-term hearing problems for your kids.

When you choose to treat your infection with herbs and homemade remedies rather than antibiotics, as you should be able to do in most instances, there are three types of herbs you will need to look for. Antibacterial/antibiotic herbs, antiparasitic herbs, and herbs that boost your immune system are all things that you should utilize as much as possible.

Antibacterial Herbs

If you are suffering from an upper respiratory infection, try colloidal silver. Taken in a liquid dose, it kills almost all bacteria in your system. A potentially hazardous side effect, is of course, that you risk eradicating your good bacteria as well, so you will want to make sure that you do not expose yourself to any other sicknesses!

You probably have garlic hidden somewhere in your pantry. Pull it out, and start cooking some garlic-oriented masterpieces! It tastes wonderful, but it also has some a couple of really amazing health benefits. First, it warms the bronchial tubes in your lungs and helps fight off any respiratory infections you might be facing. This is definitely the herbal remedy to turn to if you or your children have a cold, flu, or another minor infection that your doctor may try to subscribe an antibiotic for. At your local health store you will be able to easily procure simple garlic oil or capsules that you can also take throughout the course of your infection. Even better than garlic capsules or oil is chewing fresh, pungent garlic. That might not sound particularly enjoyable, but it is the most effective way to access all of garlic’s most helpful health-related benefits.

Yerba mansa is another herbal remedy that will serve you well with colds, flus, and other infections. The plus side it that it’s a tasty herb that you can consume in your tea. People who farm yerba mansa say that “the plant [is] magical, its qualities almost mythical.”

Something that you have probably been waiting to read about is elderberry, an herbal remedy that has been used to treat colds and flu for hundreds of years. Native American tribes used it to treat flu outbreaks, and the best way you can use it is to scrounge up some elderberry bark or root and boil it with water to make tea. You can also easily buy elderberry tinctures and capsules. The reason it is such a good treatment for flus is because it has extremely effective cooling properties that help cool your entire body down.

Antiparasitics

If what you are trying to accomplish is cleansing your body of parasites or parasitic infections, pumpkin seeds, perhaps surprisingly, are your new friend. Keep them raw—do not cook them—and snack on them by the handful. They don’t have any harmful side effects, so you can consume as many as you would like to, and they are by far the best tasting of the bunch.

Immune Boosters

Something as simple as increasing your consumption of healthy bacteria—think yogurt with live bacteria—will help build your immune system. The more good bacteria you have in your system, the less likely it is that an infection will be able to take root in your system.

Echinacea tea is referred to as an immune booster because it is not used to target a specific infection; it strengthens your immune system so that your body can fight disease off naturally. Not only will this help you fight off the infection that you are currently facing, it will make it less likely that you contract another infection any time soon.

As always, you will want to check with your doctor or other healthcare professional before starting any sort of treatment. Best health to you!