We overshoot things a bit–everything from fishing to healing to athletic competition. It’s part of being a human. So when we discovered antibiotics in the 1940s, it became clear that this would affect the entire world–and we would overshoot here, too.
Then we became painfully aware that the war with nature can never really be won. When it comes to immunity and disease, we are all faced with the reality of “adapt or die.” And as the overprescription of antibiotics taught us, it's not always humans faced with that challenge.
Sometimes it’s bacteria that are pressed to their ultimate limits, and then they surpass them. That is how the rise of antibiotic resistance began.
Let’s review.
Table of Contents
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01
The Overuse of Antibiotics
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02
Antibiotic Resistant Bacterial and Fungal Infections
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03
Using Natural Antibiotics
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04
Storing Emergency Antibiotics
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05
Final Thoughts on Antibiotic Resistance
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06
Frequently Asked Questions
The Overuse of Antibiotics
Farming and overprescription have contributed to superbug resistance. (Image courtesy of Healthy Women)
Do you remember that pink bottle of bubblegum flavored medicine that was in your fridge when you had the flu? In the nineties, it was cheap and easy to see a doctor by comparison. As a result, we had those bottles of amoxicillin just… sitting around.
We took antibiotics every time we had a flu. Not the Avian flu, mind you–just the seasonal flu. Of course, this is a virus and antibiotics don’t kill viruses.
We also used (and continue to use) massive amounts of antibiotics in farming. They make their way into the water system, and, over time, bacteria develop this resistance to the presence of these antibiotics.
Consequently, we are creating superbugs that can only be treated through aggressive measures–and sometimes they don’t even work!
🔶 Let's not Go Over the Deep End
To cast out antibiotics entirely and return to rubbing garlic into open wounds would be an incomprehensible move. After all, antibiotics have saved millions of lives and extended the average human lifespan by a whopping twenty-three years.
It is not the time to get rid of antibiotics. We just went a little too far!
🔶 Virus Filter
A much better protection against a dangerous virus is to practice good personal hygiene, avoid close contact with people, and invest in a quality gas mask and MIRA’s Particle Max virus filter.
Remember: antibiotics aren't going to solve your problem if it's viral. That is why our doctors were not prescribing amoxicillin for COVID-19. You need a different protocol, and if we are dealing with another viral pandemic, then the P-Max virus filter will be essential.
Antibiotic Resistant Bacterial and Fungal Infections
Some infections are so strong that they can be deadly. (Image courtesy of Bioplastics News)
The battle against antibiotic resistant pathogens is well under way. Do you remember the first time you heard the acronym MRSA? These infections tend to pop up in healthcare facilities and even then can prove deadly.
Here are some of the most common antibiotic resistant infections based on clinical data:
🔶 MRSA (Methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus)
🔶 Gonorrhea
🔶 Candida auris
🔶 XDR-TB (Extensively drug resistant tuberculosis)
Of course, these infections are not a death sentence, but because they are so resistant to antibiotics, the treatments are invasive and can affect people's health for an extended period of time. Treatment, therefore, becomes a double edged sword.
Using Natural Antibiotics
Herbal teas can bring natural antibiotics into the body. (Image courtesy of migrelief.com)
Over the last one hundred years we have forgotten so much more than we have learned. Our very existence on this planet seems completely alien to so many people, with the idea of being in the deep woods inducing anxiety and fear. Accordingly, our connection to the natural world, the wild, is hanging by a single frayed thread.
It’s no wonder, then, that we suffer from so much depression and epidemic levels of suicide. After all, we have boxed ourselves up in drywall and insulation, making believe that everything we need can be seen through a screen or stored within those four walls.
With all this in mind, did you know there are natural antibiotics that we have used for thousands of years? Have you ever tried ‘em? “Just call me in a Z Pak, doc!” That's the American way.
Regardless, here are four natural antibiotics that deserve your attention.
🔶 Garlic
The “stinking rose” is an ancient healer. Used to treat things like cold, cough, and sore throats for hundreds of years, garlic also goes by the nickname Russian penicillin.
🔶 Honey
Would you eat 3,000 year old Egyptian honey? For reference, that is how long we have been eating and using it! Indeed, Sumerian clay tablets that are 2,400 years old have been found with medicines featuring honey on them.
Far from merely being something your grandma used to use in your tea when you had a cough, honey has powerful antibiotic properties and can even be smeared directly on cuts and abrasions.
🔶 Ginger
Ginger’s value as a natural antibiotic comes from the wide range of bacteria it affects. An aggressive bacterial growth inhibitor, ginger can–through teas and food–be taken internally, giving it access to the whole body.
🔶 Oregano
In the world of essential oils, oregano is what is called a “hot oil.” That is because it will literally burn your skin in its essential oil form. Consequently, it has to be cut with a carrier oil in order to be used.
Oregano is great because it can be used both inside and outside of the body, to great effect.
Storing Emergency Antibiotics
The Wellness Company is a company offering emergency medical kits with prescription antibiotics. (Image courtesy of The Wellness Company)
In spite of concerns about overuse, there are times when an antibiotic can save your life.
That’s why every home should have access to emergency antibiotics. Health care visits, after all, are not always an option in an emergency.
Unfortunately, most people don’t understand their full potential to prepare for emergencies at home and when they are traveling. And to be fair, the landscape of disaster preparedness has changed so much that it is hard to keep up with.
Were you aware, for example, that you could even purchase emergency antibiotics for your home? You can take them with you when you travel, so business and vacations do not get upended by some kind of severe illness.
The folks at The Wellness Company do an incredible job with both emergency medical kits that include antibiotics as well as health advocacy. In short, they don't want you on pills! However, they will get you the things you need.
🔶 Doxycycline Treats Anthrax
The Wellness Company’s kits feature an antibiotic called doxycycline, which is a well known treatment for anthrax–a biological threat that can be deadly. You might remember, for example, the post-9/11 Amerithrax attacks that saw envelopes being delivered with Anthrax inside them.
According to the National Library of Medicine, the U.S. deals with the outstanding majority of biological attacks in the world–meaning it is certainly something to prepare for. From this perspective, understanding and educating yourself on some of the more prevalent biological threats can really help you to ready yourself for any emergency.
Of course, avoiding infection and contamination is always your best course of action. Should you be the recipient of any kind of strange powder in the mail, it's best not to avoid contact and get away from the substance as quickly as possible. Donning a CBRN gas mask like the CM-6M Tactical Gas Mask will give you another layer of protection.
Final Thoughts on Managing Antibiotic Resistance
We have too many chemicals altering our bodies natural healing processes. (Image courtesy of Unsplash)
Despite making serious mistakes that have had dramatic effects on our planet, the human race is still its greatest critic. That is likely the reason we are prosperous and growing. For a species as old as ours, we have an amazing ability to slam the brakes on and change directions.
It wasn’t until the 1960s that we even realized that we had become enough of a force to affect the oceans, waterways, and natural places on this planet. By 1990, we were taking serious steps to undo many of the things we had done.
The medical world only just started exploring the overprescription of antibiotics in the 1980s. Once again, we slammed on the brakes, in the context of human history, and made a dramatic change.
In the end, managing antibiotic resistance is about balance. We are so out of balance in so many ways as a species. However, it is the fact that we critique our world and our choices so heavily that should give you hope. We will see this through as well.