MRSA is an acronym which stands for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. It's a bacterial infection and is usually spread by skin to skin contact. According to the Center for Disease Control & Prevention, it was first discovered in hospitals in 1968. At that time it was primarily found in hospitalized patients and those who were recently hospitalized. In the 1990's MRSA mutated and began to show up in otherwise healthy, non-hospitalized people. Now MRSA infections are more common in the United States than previously thought, and is being found more frequently outside of hospitals. This latest observation was published in today's issue of JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association.
MRSA infections are usually found on skin or in surface wounds, but it can travel inside of the body and attack blood, bones, joints, lungs and heart valves, causing potential life-threatening conditions. My own sister-in-law passed away earlier this year from a MRSA infection which attacked her heart valves. According to the Mayo Clinic, Vancomycin is one of the few antibiotics left which is effective against most MRSA infections, but sometimes even the strongest antibiotics available don't work. It is known that MRSA is a bacterium which is rapidly mutating in communities and may soon be untreatable by any known antibiotics.
Those most at risk for contracting MRSA infections are those with weakened or underdeveloped immune systems such as older people, children and those with severe or chronic illnesses. Those who engage in contact sports or share sports equipment or towels are at risk also, as well as those who live in unsanitary or crowded places. And if you are associated with a health care worker you could be at risk, too.
How did these super bugs come about? Weren't antibiotics always able to treat infections, no matter what? Ever since the discovery of penicillin, that used to be a fairly accurate statement. Unfortunately, more and more infections are becoming resistant to treatment after many years of unnecessary and excessive use of antibiotics. Now, not only can we get our prescription for these drugs from our doctors, we can obtain them free of charge: they're in our drinking water and are given routinely to our livestock. In addition, germs continue to mutate in order to escape and multiply. This is what bacteria do to survive. The appearance of super bugs just makes sense.
There is a study ongoing in the UK on the use of essential oils for treating MRSA. From the European newsletter nutraingredients.com, researchers at the University of Manchester have reported that three essential oils have killed MRSA. Also, essential oils of eucalyptus and tea-tree have been shown to be effective against MRSA at the University of Sydney. How can these simple oils work when our highly researched and expensive drugs can't? Because antibiotics are simple compounds and only work on one or one group of infections; oils are complex compounds and bacteria are unable to mutate and escape. This makes essential oils more effective in treating infections.
Now I must get on my soapbox and I hope you'll forgive me. But this is my blog and this paragraph is where I give my opinion. Those of us who market therapeutic essential oils are prevented by the FDA from calling the oils a cure or a treatment for anything. That is the law. Therefore, I leave it up to each of you to decide. I will say this, though: it is unlikely that the big pharmaceutical companies will spend much time trying to discover new antibiotics. Those drugs don't have the potential for making the big companies much income. They will probably be (and are) concentrating their efforts on developing new "diseases" and "syndromes" for the drugs that they can make the most money from, the drugs that some people take for their lifetime, drugs like Lipitor and Prozac and the vaccines which cripple our children. Okay....I'm done.
MRSA infections are much easier to prevent than they are to treat. Good and frequent hand washing is so important in helping to prevent the spread of MRSA and many other kinds of infections. If you have a wound, keep it clean and covered and dispose of your bandages safely. Don't share your personal items with anyone. By these I mean razors, bed linens, clothing, athletic equipment or skin care items like make-up and deodorants. And finally, if you have a wound or skin rash that doesn't heal, get tested.
It's a good thing to have knowledge about MRSA so that we can protect ourselves. But I don't think we need to hide under the bed just yet. Concentrate on prevention and keep your immune system strong. That's what I have planned for myself. If you have more questions about MRSA ask your health care professional. And remember to do your own research and make up your own mind about what treatments you will accept for any illness that may come along.
Wishing you the best of health!
Jude
For questions about therapeutic essential oils from Young Living please contact me!
315-255-3066
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