Health Care

Many medical health care professionals claim antibiotics to be 'the lifesaving drugs' of the twentieth century. No doubt, antibiotics are the most widely used and the most talked about class of drugs ever used, on the vast majority of people and animals, across the globe. What does the term antibiotics actually mean though?

Here is Wikipedia's definition of the word term meaning for antibiotic. An antibiotic is a chemotherapeutic agent that inhibits or abolishes the growth of micro-organisms, such as bacteria, fungi, or protozoans. Antibiotic is now used to refer to substances with anti-bacterial, anti-fungi, or anti-parasitical activity.

Antibiotic's widespread overuse has recently been questioned over the last decade, by many concerned health care experts, due to their apparent, and oftentimes, ineffectiveness. And, many health care scientists are also beginning to recognize the fact that, unfortunately, not all the bacteria that dwells inside our bodies aim to harm us.

Antibiotics do perform a sometimes useful function in killing off large numbers of harmful bacteria in our bodies that can lead to life threatening infections. It is a self sacrificing trade-off, however, as there is no discrimination between the chemotherapeutic killing off of all bacteria, whether it be good or bad germs, in the gastrointestinal tract.

Since the 1940's, modern medicine has mainly focused on the killing off of harmful disease causing bacteria via newly discovered antibiotics. This practice came about with not much understanding of the role, in the advantages, that good micro-organisms (bacteria) played in maintaining good health.

Good bacteria (probiotics), is a modern new term used to describe live, beneficial organisms (bacteria) which, when taken in adequate and consistent amounts, offers many different health benefits to the host. Two very subtle improvements are often noticed right away, in a stronger immune system and a healthier digestive tract.

Probiotics is not a fad, says Gary Huffnagle, an immunologist at the University of Michigan and author of The Probiotics Revolution. It is really is a new scientific understanding about how the body works.

Do an internet search on the word term 'probiotics' and you will find that there has definitely been a shift, now days, in the way medical scientists think about bacteria (germs). It is finally getting a much deserved, more focused awareness and attention than ever before.

Probiotics have been found to aid with the absorption of nutrients, production of vitamin K, and helps with the necessary and balanced maintenance of good bacteria in the intestines. They are also believed to inhibit the overgrowth of disease causing harmful bacteria, by crowding them out. Probiotics can be the most helpful to those who have just recently taken antibiotics, by re-establishing colonies of good bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract which, sometimes, can be quite difficult to do.

The best sources of good bacteria (probiotics) comes from fermented foods, beverages, or supplements. Probiotic supplements are available in many health food stores either in capsules, powders, or liquid forms. And, while many nutritional experts agree that most of us would benefit in some way from a daily dose of probiotics, learning how to ferment your own foods or beverages at home is a more superior source of good bacteria nutrition. Not all probiotic supplements can necessarily be trusted to deliver what they say they can.

Besides, learning to ferment your own food and beverages at home can be a healthy, fun, and nutritious hobby. Most experts on this subject will agree, that anything you can easily make at home is far better for you than any commercialized product that you could buy. The reasoning behind this idea, is that you will have more control over the whole process in what you are ingesting, and you also have the option of buying the most natural ingredients to use for the end product.

Here is a small list (there are many more that are not listed) of different types of fermented foods and beverages:

1. yogurt
2. aged cheeses
3. kefir
4. kombucha
5. pickles and olives
6. sauerkraut
7. sourdough bread
8. soy sauce
9. vinegar

By Robert W. Benjamin

What is Strep Throat: Strep Throat is a severe Infection of the throat and tonsils.

What causes Strep Throat: Strep Throat is caused by the streptococcal bacteria, and is spread by close contact with someone who has the ilness. Usualy the infected person coughs or sneezes, spreading the disease. Untreated patients are very infectious for 2-4 weeks after the beginning of the infection.

Symptoms Of Strep Throat: The most common symptoms of Strep Throat are a very red, sore throat. Often there are white patches on the tonsils, swollen lymph nodes in the neck, fever and headache, upset stomach and vomiting. Often the sore throat comes on rapidly, and the fever can sometimes be greater than 102 degrees.

Treatment For Strep Throat: The best treatment for Strp Throat is usualy Antibiotics. Antibiotics will quickly reduce symptoms, and reduce the chances of complications. Penicillin is usualy given as the antibiotic of choice, but since a lot of folks are allergic to Penicillin, the doctor may prescribe Erythromycin instead. Other antibiotics that are effective include amoxicillin, and cephalosporin. Although Strep throat symptoms may subside within 4 days even without treatment, it is very important to be treated by a doctor, and to complete the full course of antibiotics to prevent severe complications such as heart or kidney troubles. Amoxicillin should be avoided as a treatment of a sore throat if bacterial (swab) confirmation has not been obtained as it causes a distinctive rash should the true illness prove to be Glandular Fever instead of Strep Throat. In most cases, a standard dose of penicillin, taken for 10 days, will cure the strep throat infection without any problems. Relief from the sore throat should come within 24 to 48 hours after you start taking antibiotics. Doctors recommend throat sprays and lozenges to help ease the throat pain until the antibiotics start helping.

Preventing Strep Throat: Strep Throat is very contagious, so the best line of prevention is to stay away from those that have it. Wash all drinking and eating utensils in very hot soapy water. If caring for an infected person, the caregiver should wash hands often after contact. Another way to help prevent strep throat is to try to reduce your stress, get plenty of rest and other things that help keep the bodies defenses strong.

There is a website that provides cures, facts and other great information on Strep Throat and numerous medical conditions, the website is called: All About Health, and can be found at this url:http://www.rb59.com/medical-health-info

Article Source: http://www.superfeature.com

by: Robert Najemy

Some Possible Causes Might Be

1. Poor dietary habits which create a toxic build-up in the body.
2. A lack of proper nutrients.
3. Weakness in the immune system.
4. Emotional problems which suppress the body’s defense.
5. Over use of antibiotics.
6. Viruses - Bacteria.

EFFECTIVE NATURAL SOLUTIONS

When First Symptoms Appear

1. Vitamins - Immediately take plenty of vitamin C. You can take about a total of 3000 mg a day in small doses – say 200 mg at a time, which would mean 15 tablets a day.

Zinc is also a good immune enhancer. From 20 to 40 mg of Zinc can be taken daily until the cold subsides.

It is better to take both of these in tablet form so that you can suck on them and dissolve them in the mouth. In this way, the active power of these two substances can be absorbed by the cells of the mouth and throat area and thus strengthening the power of the cells to protect themselves.

2. Immediately cleanse the nostrils and gargle with salt. If the cold continues after the first day, then discontinue the washing of the nostrils but continue 3 or more times a day gargling with salt or lemon water.

3. Avoid eating solid food, especially cheese, milk and all dairy products, as well as white flour, white sugar and any products made from them. They form excess mucus, which increases the symptoms of the cold.

4. Drink plenty of liquids especially fresh citric fruit juices: oranges, lemons, grapefruits, as well as herb teas, and vegetable broth.

5. If you feel very hungry and must eat, then the best food would be a raw salad or a hot, spicy soup. A very effective soup is onion soup made from onions, garlic, cayenne pepper, cinnamon and other spices. (Not if you have ulcers.)

6. For those who are familiar with stomach cleansing with slightly saltly water, this is very effective for removing accumulated mucus from the body. (Not if you have an ulcer).

7. An enema is also effective in helping the body purify itself of accumulated toxins.

8. Get plenty of rest and do plenty of deep relaxation. Also perform any exercises you feel up to doing. They will facilitate the renewal of the body’s vital energies and thus its ability to heal itself.

9. Keep your body warm and protected from drafts.

10. Shiatsu massage of the neck and head can be miraculously relieving and beneficial. (Reflexology can be used to free up the sinuses).

IF THE COLD CONTINUES

11. Continue with the vitamins taking up to 3000 mg of C. and up to 30 mg of Zinc per day until the symptoms disappear. If the cold lasts more than a week, then you might want to check with a doctor as to why your body is not healing itself.

Other antioxidants such as vitamins E, A and Selenium and various enzymes such as Super Dioxide Dismutase call also be very useful.

12. Continue to avoid solid food as much as possible. Drink plenty of juices and broths. If you feel very hungry, eat raw salad or hot spicy soup.

13. Take occasional hot baths (covering yourself well afterwards).

14. Slow deep breathing will re-energize your body. Breathe as slowly as you can, letting as little air as possible pass through the nostrils. Gradually they will open up.

15. Do not continue with the cleaning of the nostrils, but do continue with frequent gargling.

16. Gentle exercises can open up the nostrils and also the flow of energy in the body.

17. Use deep relaxation to imagine the body’s defense system healthy and powerful and invincible.

18. Be happy and relaxed.

About the Author:

Robert Elias Najemy, a life coach with 30 years of experience, is the author of over 20 books, 600 articles and 400 lectures on Human Harmony. Download wonderful ebooks, 100's of free articles, courses, and mp3 audio lectures at http://www.HolisticHarmony.com. Find 8 of his books at http://www.Amazon.com.