There is a natural alternative to conventional medicine when treating certain health conditions such as stomach ulcers, acid reflux disease, irritable bowel syndrome, infected wounds, pressure sores, etc. This natural treatment solution comes in the form of a special type of honey found only in New Zealand called Manuka Honey.
Since Manuka Honey contains natural antimicrobial properties, many health conditions caused by harmful microorganisms (bacterial, viral or fungal) can be treated with Manuka Honey. Since pharmaceuticals are notorious for causing negative side effects, Manuka Honey is being viewed as a safe alternative. It has been discovered that Manuka Honey contains extremely powerful antibacterial properties that can effectively treat a wide spectrum of health conditions, without any harmful side effects.
But don’t be fooled. Just because Manuka Honey is a natural substance, doesn’t mean it has less healing powers than medicine. Not only does Manuka Honey work like a medicine in treating certain conditions, in many cases, it seems to work better than antibiotics and shows effectiveness even where traditional forms of medicine have failed. For example, the resilient antibiotic-resistant suberbugs known as MRSA that are responsible for causing potentially life-threatening Staph infections are no match to the antibacterial action of Manuka Honey. This unique medical-grade honey goes to work at disabling the dangerous microbes by dehydrating them and preventing them from multiplying.
For conditions such as gastrointestinal complications, IBS and H. pylori/stomach ulcers, Manuka Honey can be taken orally. However, Manuka Honey has many useful topical applications as well. For example, when applied directly to the skin, Manuka Honey is effective in treating conditions such as acne, burns, wounds, eczema, ringworm and any other bacterial or fungal infection.
Medical professionals around the world are beginning to recognize the benefits of using Manuka Honey instead of antibiotics and other medications. Unlike antibiotics, it’s not crucial to identify the type of bacteria that is causing the infection as Manuka Honey destroys all infectious microorganisms that may be present. When using antibiotics, the specific infectious bacterium has to be identified in order to determine which antibiotic should be used.
There is also no problem with resistance when using Manuka Honey for medicinal purposes. When using antibiotics, there is a 50% chance that it won’t work due to bacteria becoming so widely resistant to antibiotics in recent years. To date, there has been no reports of any bacteria being able to develop a resistance to Manuka Honey. With experts predicting the emergence of new antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria in the future, doctors will become more reliant on Manuka Honey’s unparalleled antibacterial properties.
Manuka Honey’s ability to eradicate MRSA is now being viewed as a major breakthrough in the health care industry, as reports of Staph infections are running rampant all over the world. The CDC has recently determined that MRSA now kills more people in the U.S. than AIDS, making it a serious health concern of epidemic proportion. With antibiotics proving to be relatively useless against MRSA, Manuka Honey’s efficacy is gaining worldwide recognition.
Another benefit of using Manuka Honey for medical purposes is that it tastes better than medicine. Manuka Honey is also less expensive than most medicine as well. People all over the world are using Manuka Honey to treat heartburn, ulcers, stomach aches, gastritis and other internal health complications. For skin care, Manuka Honey must be applied topically and can be used for any kind of wounds, skin ulcers, sores, insect stings/bites, poison ivy/oak, scrapes, acne, eczema, etc. Even cosmetically, Manuka Honey is being used to reduce wrinkles on the skin.
Because of Manuka Honey’s rich, sweet taste, taking it orally is usually not a problem. However, Manuka Honey can be somewhat of a sticky mess when used on the skin. A company called Honeymark has developed a line of skin care products containing active Manuka Honey to eliminate this inconvenience.
“Even though it is very effective, using Manuka Honey externally to treat conditions such as eczema, athlete’s foot or any other condition that covers a large portion of the skin can be impractical because of its sticky nature,” says Frank Buonanotte, CEO of Honeymark International. “That’s why our customers prefer using our Manuka Honey skin care products over pure Manuka Honey. Our products offer all of the same benefits to using Manuka Honey without the sticky mess.”
It’s important to know that Manuka Honey can be diluted 100 fold and still be effective as a natural healing agent. Therefore, using Manuka Honey as a main ingredient in liquid-based or cream-based products presents no threat of it losing its potency. For internal purposes, Buonanotte recommends taking pure Manuka Honey orally, as long as it’s a medical-grade active Manuka Honey (UMF 10 or higher). For external purposes, Honeymark’s Manuka Honey skin care products are user friendly with a much more desirable application.
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Combating known side effects of antibiotics: When the body is overwhelmed by a bacterial infection like tuberculosis, syphilis, or meningitis, antibiotics can be used to help the body’s white blood cells make your body healthy once again. However, in some cases, antibiotic-medicines have very dangerous side effects. If you use any kind of medicine while you are sick, it is important to talk to your doctor about the side effects you can expect.
The body already makes natural antibiotics through the immune system. Called antibodies, in many cases, these natural antibiotics are all your body needs to fight bacteria in the body. Many times, you won’t even experience symptoms. Prescription antibiotics are only needed when the body’s natural-antibiotics aren’t strong enough to ward off infections.
The most common type of antibiotic-drug prescribed is penicillin, but this is not the only antibiotic your doctor might suggest. Typically, antibiotics are safe, with only very mild side effects, if you experience side effects at all. Some common side effects, no matter what kind of antibiotic-medication prescribed to you, are diarrhea, fever, and nausea. In general, side effects happen because the antibiotics kill “good” bacteria along with bad bacteria. Usually, you don’t have to worry unless the symptoms are extremely severe.
However, there can also be very serious side effects if you aren’t careful. Some people are allergic to some kinds of antibiotics, leading to an anaphylactic reaction that includes symptoms such as swelling and difficulty breathing. In addition, mixing antibiotics and alcohol can cause dangerous reactions. When antibiotics and alcohol are in your body at the same time, the reaction time of that antibiotic-drug will change. Sometimes, it prolongs the antibiotic’s effect. Other times, it causes the body to metabolize the drug more quickly. Antibiotics-drug and alcohol together can also cause general side effects to intensify, leading to more dangerous problems. The bottom line is that antibiotics and alcohol aren’t good together.
Sometimes, you may fall ill while pregnancy. When you have to take antibiotics at this point, you’ll undoubtedly be concerned about the wide effects not just on you, but also on your baby. Is antibiotic-medicine during pregnancy safe? The answer to that, which your doctor will tell you, is this: maybe. Not all antibiotics during pregnancy are safe. Sometimes, they can cause birth defects. Other times, antibiotic-drug is safe up to a certain point in a pregnancy, but as you approach birth, it could cause problems for your baby. Your body’s natural antibiotics are not always enough to fight infection, and when you are sick, your baby is sick. So, it is important to treat yourself. However, make sure you talk to your doctor about the potential dangers to your baby, and always make sure to strictly follow dosing instructions.
Antibiotics are, in many cases, the best way to help your body get better. Some people try to avoid medications because they are worried about the side effects, but in most cases, this does more damage to your body than good. Yes, you should always research the medications you’re taking so you’re aware of the side effects, but for most people, these side effects are very mild and don’t warrant avoiding medications to help you get over an illness.
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Antibiotics – a progress and a very important part in medicine. These medications are used to fight many infections caused by bacteria. The following facts about antibiotics will help you to understand how antibiotics works, the possible side effects and the importance of taking antibiotics as prescribed by the health care provider.
Antibiotics do not work against the whole Infections
Antibiotics works only against infections caused by bacteria. This medication is not generally effective against most infections. That is why your doctor will rarely prescribe an antibiotic if you have an infection.
Some antibiotics are effective against only a certain type of bacteria, while others may deal effectively with a wide range of it. Bacterial infections include strep throat (not all) ear infection, bladder and lung infections. Not all bacterial infections require treatment with antibiotics. Based on your illness and symptoms (make laboratory tests if necessary), your doctor can prescribe the most appropriate antibiotic that will work best for you.
Antibiotics can cause side effects.
If your doctor prescribe an antibiotic, be sure to ask him or her what are the possible side effects. Antibiotics can cause nausea, diarrhea and stomach pain. Some people may experience an allergic reaction (characterized by rash and itching or in severe cases, difficulty breathing). If you experience any side effects when you take antibiotics, you should call your doctor.
Bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics.
Overuse of antibiotics leads to antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance occurs when antibiotics no longer work against. Antibiotic resistance has been accelerated by extreme overuse of antibiotics in humans and animals.Taking antibiotics too frequently, for too long, or not completing the course of antibiotics will result in increased resistance of bacteria by different mechanisms.
It is very important to take antibiotics as it was prescribed.
Antibiotics should be taken only when it was prescribed by your doctor. Consult the hear care professional before taking any other medications because it may interact in a negative way and cause a worse effect for you.You should never take antibiotics given to you by somebody else or which were prescribed for a previous illness.
Below you will find three basic and important steps to ensure that your antibiotic treatment will be effective:
1. Always take the prescribed dosage. The dosage is very important factor in antibiotic effectiveness. If the dosage is not adequate, it will not be effective in treating infections and bacteria and it is more likely to develop resistance because the bacteria continue to grow and develop ways to break the effects of the antibiotic.
2. Take the full course of antibiotics as it was prescribed by the health care professional. Very often, when the patient feels better and it seems like the disease is gone, he stops to use antibiotics. However, even after symptoms are gone, the bacteria may still be present and the infection can return if the use of the antibiotic is stopped. It may also promote resistance to antibiotics.
3. Antibiotics should not be saved and reused. You should always take the full course of antibiotic treatment, because none of the drug is necessary any more.However, if this happens, antibiotics should not be taken to any other disease. Different types of infections requires different types of antibiotics, so taking the remaining treatments are not effective.
Always consult your doctor before taking any antibiotics or before stoping to use the prescribed course.
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What are Antibiotics?
The word “antibiotics” comes from the Greek anti (“against”) and bios (“life”). Antibiotics are drugs that either destroy bacteria or prevent their reproduction. Antibiotics that kill bacteria are called “bactericidal” and the ones that stop the growth of bacteria are called “bacteriostatic”.
Since penicillin’s introduction during the 1940s, scientists developed numerous other antibiotics. Today, over 100 different antibiotics are available. About 90% of antibiotics are made from living organisms such as bacteria, others are produced synthetically, either in whole or in part.
Antibiotics classification
Although there are several classification schemes for antibiotics, based on bacterial spectrum (broad, narrow) or route of administration (injectable, oral, topical), or type of activity (bactericidal, bacteriostatic), the most useful is based on chemical structure. Antibiotics within a structural class will generally have similar patterns of effectiveness, toxicity, and allergic potential.
Most commonly used types of antibiotics are: Penicillins, Fluoroquinolones, Cephalosporins, Macrolides, and Tetracyclines. While each class is composed of multiple drugs, each drug is unique in some way.
Penicillins
The penicillins are the oldest class of antibiotics. Penicillins have a common chemical structure which they share with the cephalopsorins. Penicillins are generally bactericidal, inhibiting formation of the cell wall.
There are four types of penicillins:
The natural pencillins are based on the original penicillin-G structure. Penicillin-G types are effective against gram-positive strains of streptococci, staphylococci, and some gram-negative bacteria such as meningococcus.
Penicillinase-resistant penicillins are active even in the presence of the bacterial enzyme that inactivates most natural penicillins.
Extended spectrum penicillins which are effective against a wider range of bacteria.
Aminopenicillins such as ampicillin and amoxicillin have an extended spectrum of action compared with the natural penicillins.
Penicillins side effects
Penicillins are among the least toxic drugs known. The most common side effect of penicillin is diarrhea. Nausea, vomiting, and upset stomach are also common. In rare cases penicillins can cause immediate and delayed allergic reactions – specifically, skin rashes, fever, and anaphylactic shock. Penicillins are classed as category B during pregnancy.
Cephalosporins
Cephalosporins have a mechanism of action identical to that of the penicillins. However, the basic chemical structure of the penicillins and cephalosporins differs in other respects, resulting in some difference in the spectrum of antibacterial activity. Like the penicillins, cephalosporins interfere with synthesis of the bacterial cell wall and so are bactericidal.
Cephalosporins are among the most diverse classes of antibiotics, they are grouped into “generations” by their antimicrobial properties. Each generation has a broader spectrum of activity than the one before.
The first generation cephalosporins include: cephalothin, cefazolin, cephapirin, cephradine, cephalexin, cefadroxil. Their spectrums of activity are quite similar. They possess generally excellent coverage against most gram-positive pathogens and variable to poor coverage against most gram negative pathogens.
The second generation cephalosporins include: cefaclor, cefamandole, cefonicid, ceforanide, cefuroxime. In addition to the gram-positive spectrum of the first generation cephalosporins, these agents have expanded gram-negative spectrum. Cefoxitin and cefotetan also have good activity against Bacteroides fragilis.
The third generation cephalosporins have much expanded gram-negative activity. However, some members of this group have decreased activity against gram-positive organisms. The third generation cephalosporins include: cefcapene, cefdaloxime, cefditoren, cefetamet, cefixime, cefmenoxime, cefodizime, cefoperazone, cefotaxime, cefpimizole, cefpodoxime, ceftibuten, ceftriaxone. They have the advantage of convenient dosing schedules, but they are expensive.
The fourth generation cephalosporins are extended-spectrum agents with similar activity against gram-positive organisms as first-generation cephalosporins. They also have a greater resistance to beta-lactamases (bacterial enzymes that may destroy antibiotic before it can do its work) than the third generation cephalosporins. Many fourth generation cephalosporins can cross blood brain barrier and are effective in meningitis. The fourth generation cephalosporins include: cefclidine, cefepime, cefluprenam, cefozopran, cefpirome, cefquinome.
Cephalosporin side effects
Cephalosporins generally cause few side effects. Common side effects associated these drugs include: diarrhoea, nausea, mild stomach cramps or upset. Approximately 5Ц10% of patients with allergic hypersensitivity to penicillins will also have cross-reactivity with cephalosporins. Thus, cephalosporin antibiotics are contraindicated in people with a history of allergic reactions (urticaria, anaphylaxis, interstitial nephritis, etc) to penicillins or cephalosporins. Cephalosporin antibiotics are classed as pregnancy category B.
Fluroquinolones
Fluoroquinolones are the newest class of antibiotics. Their generic name often contains the root “floxacin”. They are synthetic antibiotics that belong to the family of antibiotics called quinolones. The older quinolones are not well absorbed and are used to treat mostly urinary tract infections. The newer fluroquinolones are broad-spectrum bacteriocidal drugs that are chemically unrelated to the penicillins or the cephaloprosins. Because of their excellent absorption fluroquinolones can be administered not only by intravenous but orally as well.
Commonly used fluoroquinolones include ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, lomefloxacin, norfloxacin, sparfloxacin, clinafloxacin, gatifloxacin, ofloxacin, trovafloxacin.
Fluoroquinolones side effects
Fluoroquinolones are well tolerated and relatively safe. The most common side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain. Other more serious but less common side effects are central nervous system effects (headache, confusion and dizziness), phototoxicity (more common with lomefloxacin and sparfloxacin). All drugs in this class have been associated with convulsions. Fluoroquinolones are classed as pregnancy category C.
Tetracyclines
Tetracyclines got their name because they share a chemical structure that has four rings. They are derived from a species of Streptomyces bacteria. Tetracycline antibiotics are broad-spectrum bacteriostatic agents, that inhibit bacterial protein synthesis. Tetracyclines may be effective against a wide variety of microorganisms, including rickettsia and amebic parasites.
Tetracyclines are used in the treatment of infections of the respiratory tract, sinuses, middle ear, urinary tract, skin, intestines. Tetracyclines also are used to treat Gonorrhoea. Their most common current use is in the treatment of moderately severe acne and rosacea.
The most commonly prescribed tetracycline antibiotics are: tetracycline, doxycycline, minocycline, oxytetracycline.
Tetracycline side effects
Drugs in the tetracycline class become toxic over time. Expired drugs can cause a dangerous syndrome resulting in damage to the kidneys.
Common side effects associated with tetracyclines include cramps or burning of the stomach, diarrhea, sore mouth or tongue. Tetracyclines can cause skin photosensitivity, which increases the risk of sunburn under exposure to UV light. This may be of particular importance for those intending to take on holidays long-term doxycyline as a malaria prophylaxis. Rarely, tetracyclines may cause allergic reactions. Very rarely severe headache and vision problems may be signs of dangerous secondary intracranial hypertension.
Tetracycline antibiotics should not be used in children under the age of 8, and specifically during periods of tooth development. Tetracyclines are classed as pregnancy category D. Use during pregnancy may cause alterations in bone development.
Macrolides
The macrolide antibiotics are derived from Streptomyces bacteria, and got their name because they all have a macrocyclic lactone chemical structure. The macrolides are bacteriostatic, binding with bacterial ribosomes to inhibit protein synthesis. Erythromycin, the prototype of this class, has a spectrum and use similar to penicillin. Macrolide antibiotics are used to treat respiratory tract infections (such as pharyngitis, sinusitis, and bronchitis), genital, gastrointestinal tract, and skin infections.
The most commonly prescribed macrolide antibiotics are: erythromycin, clarithromycin, azithromycin, roxithromycin, troleandomycin.
Macrolides side effects
Side effects associated with macrolides include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea; infrequently, there may be temporary auditory impairment. Azithromycin has been rarely associated with allergic reactions, including angioedema, anaphylaxis, and dermatologic reactions. Oral erythromycin may be highly irritating to the stomach and when given by injection may cause severe phlebitis. Macrolide antibiotics should be used with caution in patients with liver dysfunction. Pregnancy category B: Azithromycin, erythromycin. Pregnancy category C: Clarithromycin, dirithromycin, troleandomycin.
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