Antibiotic Use and Chinese Medicine
When did we become such haters? Antibacterial soap, wipes, gels, medications and so on. Not to mention that our cerruent farming practices inject animals as WELL as plants with antibiotics. Don't feel well? Go to your doc for some antibiotics. Every think about what that does to your body? To your immune system?
Bacteria are found everywhere. And for some reason, over the last decade, we have become obsessive compulsive antibacterial freaks. Our bodies NEED bacteria to survive and function properly. Bacteria is an organism that have many functions both topically on the body and inside the body. There are bacterium that assist our intestines with digesting food (ever hear of probiotics?) There are bacteria that live on our skin to help it stay soft and healthy. There are bacteria in a women's flora (vaginal fluids) that are passed to there child during natural birth to keep the baby healthy. Did you know there are bacteria in your eyebrows? It's true. Point is the our "bacteria" is an ode to our immune system. The longer we can advoid the use of using and coming in contact with antibiotics, the healthier we will be, the more we will be able to fight infections and disease. Collecting bacteria is cumulative (beginning at birth with flora) and continues with breast feeding and all the childhood "bugs".
So if bacteria is such an awesome thing, why are doctors prescribing antibiotics for everything under the sun? My guess, it's easier. You go to the doctor for a fever, instead of letting your body fight it, we don't have time to be sick. The ultimate result will be that you will get sick MORE because once you take a round of antibiotics, your body has to start collecting bacteria all over. Let me be clear here, I am speaking of antibiotic use for a cold, for a fever, for an earache... Not for people with severe infections, compromised immune systems or with auto-immune disorders. There is a big difference between having food poisoning and having mrsa.
Chinese Medicine looks at antibiotics form a property prospective within the body. For instance, antibiotics are very cold in nature. They generate cold in the interior of the body, preventing the normal flow of energy to transpire and keeping blood flow constricted. When the body is internally cold, blood stagnates and pain occurs. The body needs warmth in order to flow, more and function. Antibiotics cause the opposite effect- stasis and tightness.
Antibiotics kill bacteria, all bacteria- good and bad alike and do not discriminate. Because antibiotic products are now found everywhere, we are continually wiping our immune systems of healthy bacteria, leaving us more susceptible to becoming ill more often and worse. There is a big difference between an illness that is a little cough and one that puts you down and out for a week. That is what we are seeing with frequently prescribed antibiotic medications, antibacterial soaps and cleaners. Just as anything else alive on the planet, all species fight to stay alive and bacteria is no different. As humans have evolved naturally over millions of years, bacteria are doing the same at a much rapid speed to ensure its survival. Eventually bacteria will evolve sophisticatedly past the point of antibacterials being a threat.
Part of the abuse of the use of antibiotics is that they are prescribed when the patient does not need them. They are prescribed to patients, even when the issue is not bacterial in nature, because the Western school of thought is that they will not harm the patient. But the reality is that is does damage the patient by wiping all the bacteria out of the immune system, making people more prone to disease and being sicker at longer durations of time.
The stagnation, damage to the immune system and cold that manifests as a result of taking antibiotic prescriptions is becoming a real health issue. People are getting sicker more frequently as a result of constant anti-biotic use.
Patients that DO have bacterial infections should take antibiotics to clear up the infection. Ask your doctor when you are ill if it is bacterial, viral or fungal in nature. You should not be taking an antibiotic if it is not bacterial. If you have to use an antibiotic, add a probiotic AFTER you are finished with your antibiotic medication. Probiotic help restore bacterial balance within the body and boost the immune system. As well as a probiotic, algae have several million strands of good bacteria that can help immunity.
If you are feeling under the weather, rethink taking an antibiotic, especially if it is for a cold. Remember the good old days when we toughed it out, stayed in bed in bed and ate chicken soup? That strategy still applies, when we are sick, our bodies are telling us to slow down and rest.