There is nothing more frustrating than being ill again and again. Among the problems I often see in my practice are recurrent infections that can be traced back to frequent courses of antibiotics.
Chances are you know this issue all too well, either personally or among your acquaintances: middle ear infections that occur in children so regularly every month as if someone had set an alarm; streptococci taking up residence in the tonsils and refusing to be controlled; and sinus infections that occur at least once a year.
Is all this just part of life? And why are some people particularly affected?
Often it turns out that antibiotics are to blame for this mess.
You may not want to believe it, but taking antibiotics can make you more susceptible to infections. The newspaper The Guardian, for example, writes that "the likelihood of getting treatment‑resistant infections is significantly higher in children who take antibiotics." Health authorities now warn that "in children who have been treated with an antibiotic, the risk of picking up a treatment‑resistant infection in the months afterwards is 12 times higher."
And it is not only bacterial infections we need to worry about – antibiotics also throw the door wide open to fungal diseases.
Here I would like to describe a case that illustrates what this scenario can do, especially to our children:
Little Joey had just had his first middle ear infection. His bright red face and the obvious pain sent his mother into panic. Although she would have preferred to avoid treatment with an antibiotic, she still went to the doctor and had a medicine prescribed.
The antibiotic worked wonderfully and the infection soon cleared. A month later the next middle ear infection came along, this time a little worse than before. Another course of antibiotics followed and then another infection soon after.
Soon Joey became one of those children who are "just prone to ear infections." The doctor prescribed a whole series of antibiotics – one stronger than the other – and finally advised the parents to have grommets inserted in Joey's ears!
Science now assumes that the first three years of life are crucial for a healthy gut microbiome. According to a study published in Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease, this is the period "in which the gut bacteria that serve as the cornerstones for health in general and neurodevelopment in particular are established. If the microbiome is altered during this time, the health and development of the host may be permanently affected." [1]
Ramnik Xavier, MD, PhD, Chief of Gastroenterology at Massachusetts General Hospital writes: "A key motivation for studying the microbiome is the importance of gut bacteria in early childhood. The development of the microbiome at this time appears to play a critical role for human health and reduced diversity in the gut microbiome has been associated with a number of allergic and autoimmune diseases." [2].
A disturbance in the gut microbiome can have long‑term consequences.
This also means that disruption of the gut flora by antibiotics in the early years, when the microbiome is still very fragile, can have particularly serious and long‑lasting consequences.
A disturbance in the microbiome leads to digestive problems and, because the gut flora has a direct influence on the immune system, immune defence also suffers!
A weak immune system results in recurrent infections, autoimmune diseases and poor general health. This often leads to even more frequent antibiotic courses and before you know what is happening, the child is trapped in this downward spiral.
And that is exactly what happened to Joey.
It is very likely that the repeated courses of antibiotics in his first two years of life disrupted his gut flora and triggered a number of autoimmune reactions, such as allergies to house dust mites and cat hair.
He can no longer eat gluten without reacting with hives and other skin rashes. Dairy products give him stomach aches and he also suffers from constipation.
The question now is how to tackle this illness at its root. The answer, of course, is: with homeopathy!
For Joey's middle ear infection his mother could have given Chamomilla C200, because the ears were always inflamed when a new tooth was coming through and Joey was very irritable – extraordinarily so. The remedy should be given every six hours and is a gentle but effective alternative to antibiotic treatment.
Other good homeopathic remedies for middle ear infections are Hepar sulph and Pulsatilla; in any case we must follow the key symptoms to select the correct remedy.
Joey's mother then gave him Calcarea carbonica C200 every other day to reduce his allergies. Calc carb is a great remedy for strengthening the immune system and also helps during teething. Joey could only benefit from it.
Bovista C200 might also have been an option. This remedy is also taken every second day and can help with food intolerances.
Joey's mother is glad that she was able to help her little son.
She feels empowered because she can not only treat the infections themselves but also promote Joey's health in general.
Caring for a sick child can be very stressful for a mother, so Joey's mother also took Ignatia C200 after she had given her son Calc carb. Since then the two of them have not had to see the paediatrician…
There is nothing more frustrating than being ill again and again. Among the problems I often see in my practice are recurrent infections that can be traced back to frequent courses of antibiotics.
Chances are you know this issue all too well, either personally or among your acquaintances: middle ear infections that occur in children so regularly every month as if someone had set an
alarm; streptococci taking up residence in the tonsils and refusing to be controlled; and sinus infections that occur at least once a year.
Is all this just part of life? And why are some people particularly affected?
Often it turns out that antibiotics are to blame for this mess.
You may not want to believe it, but taking antibiotics can make you more susceptible to infections. The newspaper The Guardian writes, for example, that "the likelihood of getting treatment‑resistant infections is significantly higher in children who take antibiotics." Health authorities now warn that "in children who have been treated with an antibiotic, the risk of picking up a treatment‑resistant infection in the months afterwards is 12 times higher."
And it is not only bacterial infections we need to worry about – antibiotics also throw the door wide open to fungal diseases.
Here I would like to describe a case that illustrates what this scenario can do, especially to our children:
Little Joey had just had his first middle ear infection. His bright red face and the obvious pain sent his mother into panic. Although she would have preferred to avoid treatment with an antibiotic, she still went to the doctor and had a medicine prescribed.
The antibiotic worked wonderfully and the infection soon cleared. A month later the next middle ear infection came along, this time a little worse than before. Another course of antibiotics followed and then another infection soon after.
Soon Joey became one of those children who are "just prone to ear infections." The doctor prescribed a whole series of antibiotics – one stronger than the other – and finally advised the parents to have grommets inserted in Joey's ears!
Science now assumes that the first three years of life are crucial for a healthy gut microbiome. According to a study published in Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease, this is the period "in which the gut bacteria that serve as the cornerstones for health in general and neurodevelopment in particular are established. If the microbiome is altered during this time, the health and development of the host may be permanently affected." [1]
Ramnik Xavier, MD, PhD, Chief of Gastroenterology at Massachusetts General Hospital writes: "A key motivation for studying the microbiome is the importance of gut bacteria in early childhood. The development of the microbiome at this time appears to play a critical role for human health and reduced diversity in the gut microbiome has been associated with a number of allergic and autoimmune diseases." [2].
A disturbance in the gut microbiome can have long‑term consequences.
This also means that disruption of the gut flora by antibiotics in the early years, when the microbiome is still very fragile, can have particularly serious and long‑lasting consequences.
A disturbance in the microbiome leads to digestive problems and, because the gut flora has a direct influence on the immune system, immune defence also suffers!
A weak immune system results in recurrent infections, autoimmune diseases and poor general health. This often leads to even more frequent antibiotic courses and before you know what is happening, the child is trapped in this downward spiral.
And that is exactly what happened to Joey.
It is very likely that the repeated courses of antibiotics in his first two years of life disrupted his gut flora and triggered a number of autoimmune reactions, such as allergies to house dust mites and cat hair.
He can no longer eat gluten without reacting with hives and other skin rashes. Dairy products give him stomach aches and he also suffers from constipation.
The question now is how to tackle this illness at its root. The answer, of course, is: with homeopathy!
For Joey's middle ear infection his mother could have given Chamomilla C200, because the ears were always inflamed when a new tooth was coming through and Joey was very irritable – extraordinarily so. The remedy should be given every six hours and is a gentle but effective alternative to antibiotic treatment.
Other good homeopathic remedies for middle ear infections are Hepar sulph and Pulsatilla; in any case we must follow the key symptoms to select the correct remedy.
Joey's mother then gave him Calcarea carbonica C200 every other day to reduce his allergies. Calc carb is a great remedy for strengthening the immune system and also helps during teething. Joey could only benefit from it.
Bovista C200 might also have been an option. This remedy is also taken every second day and can help with food intolerances.
Joey's mother is glad that she was able to help her little son.
She feels empowered because she can not only treat the infections themselves but also promote Joey's health in general.
Caring for a sick child can be very stressful for a mother, so Joey's mother also took Ignatia C200 after she had given her son Calc carb. Since then the two of them have not had to see the paediatrician…
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Copyright:
https://joettecalabrese.com/blog/the-downward-spiral-antibiotics-and-recurring-infections
