Enhance Your Health
Health Tip of the Week: Antibiotic Crisis
Prior to the pandemic, the most common hot health crisis topics discussed were the seasonal flu, ebola virus in Africa and how obesity is the leading cause of disease in the United States.
There is one health care crisis that is extremely important and is rarely discussed. This one involves the use of antibiotics. Information that I have gathered this week from many sources is quite shocking.
Antibiotic resistance has turned into a worldwide health threat of massive proportions. Two million American adults and children are infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria each year; 23,000 die as a direct result.
Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) kills more Americans each year than the combined total of emphysema, HIV/AIDS, Parkinson’s disease, and homicide.
Solutions include improved infection prevention, more responsible use of antibiotics in human medicine (antibiotics do not treat viruses like upper respiratory infections, but are typically prescribed), limiting use of antibiotics in agriculture (our livestock is treated with antibiotics in their feed, preventatively), and finding innovative approaches to treat infections.
As a population, we have to stop taking antibiotics needlessly for every illness. Question your doctor if it’s use is necessary. One time, I was told that my symptomless child had an ear infection (redness was observed in the ear). The doctor started to write an antibiotic prescription.
I told the doctor, “No thank you, we will wait and see.” He replied that my decision was probably wise as 85% of ear infections resolve on their own and he only writes them because parents are not happy unless they leave with a prescription.
This is crazy stuff. It is time for all of us, doctors and patients to take responsibility for this problem and stop the insanity.
Thought for the Week
Half the modern drugs could well be thrown out the window, except that the birds might eat them. ~ Martin H. Fischer
Chiropractic Thought for the Week
Chiropractic spinal adjustments are in some ways akin to receiving a flu shot or taking vitamins with antiviral properties and may one day be considered by health care professions to be a preventative treatment for seasonal illness.
Not that the chiropractic spinal adjustment is a treatment for colds or flu, it is not, but they are a way of enhancing immune system function.
Research shows that spinal adjustments improve the rate at which DNA repairs itself, which is an important marker in immune system function. Thoracic spinal adjustments that stimulate neural impulses to the spleen will cause an increase in white blood cell production. White blood cells are the body’s infection fighting cells.
And lastly, patients under regular chiropractic care with monthly spinal adjustments have shown enlarged markers for resistance enzymes. Resistance enzymes help to keep you healthy. These are all important values for immune system function and greater health.