Deadly Staph

[Guest]

Yes, prayers to you and the others.

[Shad]

Just do what the doctors recommend which is was your hands in a heavy lather with regular soap not the anti-bacterial stuff for a minimum of 30 sec. making sure to scrub around and under the nails and you'll be fine.

I know it sound all serious and it is but people tend to overreact to these type things when several cases pop up at the same time. Like a doctor they interviewed on CNN this morning said Staph infection isn't something new that just came along it's been around for hundreds of years without anyone hardly noticing it. Over 500,000 people a year in the U.S. alone get a staph infection.

So the key thing is to not get caught up in the mass panic that the media is putting everyone in right now and just make sure you take extra time to wash your hands instead of the usual sprinkle of water most people use. You know the people who turn the water on and throw their hands under the water for 5 sec. or less and then dry them off??

Edited October 18, 2007 by Shad

[Yahsway]

MRSA in the health care field is also called the 4 horses of the apocalypse. we have had several cases this past year in the nursing facility I work in. Its from over abuse of antibiotics. Most in the facility I work in was in the urine of patients from repeated uti's (urinary tract infections) and from repeative antibiotics used to clear up the utis.

c-diff was also a problem in our facility as well, again from antibiotics, but the cdc has been doing more research on c-diff and are finding more and more prople are coming down with it and have not used any antibiotics.

handwashing is very important as nebula said and anit-bacterial soap is proving to be not so effective.

[shepherdsgrace]

All the posts are so very informative. And this is simply what we need, information. Informed people can make decisions that affect life in a positive way.

For instance I saw a woman who worked in a popular fast food place here washing her hands and she only washed the palm part of the hand. She washed a lengthy spell and considered herself careful but never washed around the nails or the wrist. It really bothered me that she had not been educated by management on the proper way to wash hands. She handled food for eight hours a day with hands not properly washed.

It should also be a part of our education that you wash hands under running water. And of course scripture teaches the same. The hygiene taught in the Old Testament is fundamental.

[shepherdsgrace]

There have been 20 cases this school year in Middle Tennessee, right now there is a 5 year old fighting for her life, in critical condition.................... her name is Juliana Cllemons, if you would like to say some prayers for her.

May the LORD intervene and have mercy on this child. Father I ask you in the Name of Jesus to strenthen and deliver this child and restore her to her family. I do plead the cleansing blood of Jesus upon her. amen

[shepherdsgrace]

.......About that pocketbook or purse...........

thanks bundles for that tip.

[ladypeartree]

There have been 20 cases this school year in Middle Tennessee, right now there is a 5 year old fighting for her life, in critical condition.................... her name is Juliana Cllemons, if you would like to say some prayers for her.

May the LORD intervene and have mercy on this child. Father I ask you in the Name of Jesus to strenthen and deliver this child and restore her to her family. I do plead the cleansing blood of Jesus upon her. amen

Praying for her complete recovery

[AndrewA]

Thanks for the clarification!

Let me try to explain this. If you sanitize your hands or your cart handle with something that does not kill all the bacteria on the handle, what you have left behind is an open breeding ground to the bacteria that got left behind.

Another point to note is how tough and efficient our immune system is. I can't go into the long details right now, but it is an immense line of defense. Some cells are designed to attack anything foreign, but others are "specialists," which are only activated when you are exposed to a particular bacteria or virus. That is how you develop immunity. With that understood, in general, exposure to a few bacteria can pretty much be taken out by our immune system without us getting sick. However, exposure to a large sum of the bacteria or viruses can break through our defenses quite easily (until the immunity-cells are activated).

So, this is the balance-game you have to play - let yourself be exposed to numerous bacteria and viruses in order to build up your immune system (but risk getting exposed to dense population of one particular bacteria or virus), or avoid such at all costs and weaken your immune system (making yourself more vulnerable to attack - or allergies).

So, that's the perspective I'm seeing this from.

And sure, we can sanitize the shopping cart handle - but don't forget your coins and cash (who knows where those have been), the bottom of your purses (as Patricia mentioned), door handles, the gas pump handle, your kitchen sponge (yes, your kitchen sponge is a bacterial breeding ground ), . . . .

It is refreshing to see someone actully shares same opinion as me. for more years I care to mention I have always said that illness and things like Asthma are on increase due to the chemical and cleaning product companies playing on mothers fears by making them so paranoid that a bacteria cell will kill their baby.

THis campaign of fear and terror has been going on for many years and has been highly successful, we are now getting to the ridiculous point where adverts show a kitchen or bathroom that is so clean you could use it as a operating theater, and promptly indicating to parents that thier children will be dead if a house is not in this condition throughout.

Result is the most critical years where immunity is developed at an amazing pace is being spent in a sterile environment where a child is not exposed to normal daily bacteria which should strengthen and perfect the immunity system. Breast feeding also helps a baby's immunity as the milk contains important antibodies etc that formula milk can never posses, yet we see an ever increasing number of mothers thinking that its a disgusting thing to do and will not entertain such a horrible act.

Sure you carry out basic hygine, clean toilet with bleech, wash hands after going to toilet handling raw meat etc, but just dont be paranoid about being 100% bacteriqa free as you will not really succeed anyway. There is no need to clean every surface, including chairs and carpets, everyday with a multitude of chemicals that suggest they kill all germs etc . All you are doing is increasing the chances that your baby will develop asthma and be more susceptible to being ill.

Remember, a number of large companies are artificially creating this paranoia by gradually brain washing the population over decades that it is important to have everything 100% sterile every second of the day, in order to make vast amounts of money from the billions spent on cleaning products.

[shepherdsgrace]

Frequent handwashing with soap and water is the best overall protection from any bacteria. I am a health care professional and this has always been taught as the first line of defense against any infection in hospitals and health care settings across America, and it works!! Avoid public restrooms and public facilities as much as possible, use of public telephones, etc.

Such good common sense tactics still prove themselves, don't they!

[Rebecca2]

After I read a few news reports today on the spread of this latest episode of staph I decided to do a bit of research. I remember when I worked at a hospital many years ago that staph was spoken of as almost a death sentence. I just couldn't remember what the signs / symptoms of staph are.

Common symptoms of staph infection include:

pain or swelling around a cut, or an area of skin that has been scraped

boils or other skin abscesses

blistering, peeling, or scaling of the skin; this is most common in infants and young children

enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, armpits, or groin

Seek medical treatment whenever:

Lymph nodes in the neck, armpits, or groin become swollen or tender.

An area of skin that has been cut or scraped becomes painful or swollen, feels hot, or produces pus. These symptoms may mean the infection has spread to the bloodstream.

A boil or carbuncle appears on any part of the face or spine. Staph infections affecting these areas can spread to the brain or spinal cord.

A boil becomes very sore. Usually a sign that infection has spread, this condition may be accompanied by fever, chills, and red streaks radiating from the site of the original infection.

Boils that develop repeatedly. (Common with diabetics infected with staph.)

I also looked up the most common herbal treatments for staph. (I prefer herbal remedies to drugs.)

Herbs that may help the body overcome, or withstand, staph infection include:

Garlic (Allium sativum) - anitbacterial properties. Herbalists recommend consuming three garlic cloves or three garlic oil capsules a day, starting when symptoms of infection first appear.

Cleavers (Galium aparine) - anti-inflammatory that supports the lymphatic system. It may be taken internally to help heal staph abscesses and reduce swelling of the lymph nodes. A cleavers compress can also be applied directly to a skin infection.

Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) - fight infection and reduce imflammation. Take internally when symptoms of infection first appear. Skin infections can be treated by making a paste of water and powdered goldenseal root and applying it directly to the affected area. The preparation should be covered with a clean bandage and left in place overnight.

Echinacea (Echinacea spp.) - antibiotic properties and strengthens the immune system.

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris), lavender (Lavandula officinalis), or bergamot (Citrus bergamot) oils - antibacterial properties and help prevent scarring from skin infections. A few drops of these oils are added to water and then a compress soaked in the water is applied to the affected area.

Tea tree oil (Melaleuca spp.) - infection-fighting. Apply directly to a boil or other skin infection.

Don't forget nutrition!

A diet rich in green, yellow, and orange vegetables can bolster natural immunity. Drinking eight to 10 glasses of water a day can help flush disease-causing organisms from the body.