Antibiotics & Chinese Medicine

Treating infections goes back far into ancient history. The Greeks and Indians used plants and molds to treat wounds and infections. The Greeks, along with Serbians, also used moldy bread to help heal wounds. Warm soil was used in Russia to cure infections. Sumerian doctors feed patients beer soup mixed with turtle shells and snakeskins. Babylonian doctors used a mix of frog bile and sour milk to heal the eyes. The army in Sri Lanka used sweetmeat to serve as an antibacterial.

All of this led to the discovery of penicillin by Sir Alexander Fleming, the Scottish biologist, in 1928. Penicillin came from the fungus Penicillium notation, which perfected the treatment of bacterial infections.

The discovery of antibiotics, made by a handful of cultures and people throughout the years and perfected by a bunch of scientists was one of the most substantial discoveries in western medical history. Antibiotics have led to the suppression of many infectious diseases and have saved countless lives.

Antibiotic Resistance

The issue with antibiotics today is that they are being unnecessarily overprescribed. This led to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, the most famous being MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus), which is caused by an antibiotic-resistant strain of staph bacteria used to treat common staph infections.

About one-third of people carry this bacterium in their nose or on their skin and see no symptoms. But an MRSA infection, obtained outside a medical setting, typically results in a skin infection.

These infections are particularly dangerous to hospital workers and other health care providers, where many MRSA infections are acquired. These infections are usually associated with invasive procedures, such as surgeries. It is typically spread through contact with the infected wound or equipment, even people who have MRSA and don’t have symptoms can spread the infection.

Antibiotics & Chinese Medicine

Widespread antibiotic use is something that is now commonly seen in a clinic. There are many people looking for more natural alternatives. Antibiotics may be helpful when killing an infection, but they generally weaken the body and cause imbalances of certain organ systems. However, with serious infections, antibiotics are sometimes necessary.

Many infections in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) are seen as a combination of heat and dampness. Antibiotics can heal many heat symptoms (fever, swelling, sore throat, redness), but they aren’t very good at treating dampness (phlegm, loose stool, vaginal discharge, dizzy, heavy feeling, edema, and tiredness).

The spleen is responsible for dampness occurring in the body, so if you have a damp infection it is probably an imbalance of your spleen. Antibiotics are very cold in nature according to TCM. Therefore, antibiotics hurt the spleen, as the spleen likes to be warm. In addition, the spleen, along with the stomach, is a vital organ of digestion.

The use of antibiotics severely decreases the number of beneficial bacteria in the intestinal tract. This bacterium plays a crucial part of a healthy immune system. Although antibiotics fight off an infection, they can also weaken the rest of the body, making it more susceptible to future infections. Before taking antibiotics, take into account that there are many Chinese herbal formulas with antibacterial properties that combat infections with no side effects. Chinese herbal formulas use a combination of herbs that work together to treat various types of infections, often in just a couple days.

Eat Your Medicine

Here’s a list of foods that can be added to your diet in the event of an infection.

Honey
Cabbage
Garlic
Ginger
Apple Cider Vinegar
Coconut Oil
Fermented Foods
Turmeric

There are also herbs and tinctures that have strong antibiotic properties.

Tea tree oil
Oil of oregano
Echinacea
Golden seal
Olive leaf extract

If you do choose antibiotics it is important to make sure your beneficial bacteria build up again. Drugs, both medical and recreational, are stored in the body long after intake. The residues of antibiotics build up in the body. Their accumulation can cause reactions that can cause a buildup of toxins and threaten health.

Good to Read: Natural Alternative to Antibiotics

A grain and vegetable-based diet along with green foods help to cleanse these residues in the body. You can help build beneficial bacteria in many ways by taking acidophilus , or eating yogurt with a high count of beneficial bacteria.

Chinese herbs can also strengthen the immune system and the spleen after intake of antibiotics. An excellent remedy if the use of medications was prolonged is the herb chaparral, also known as greasewood and creosote bush, which cleanses toxins and drug-related deposits from the body.

Chaparral’s medicinal properties can be extracted in water, but for maximum benefits its best to consume the entire plant.

Make sure before you get a prescription to consider all of your options.