There are likely millions of people at any given time walking around in the United States who are carrying potentially deadly bacteria, or microbes, on their skin or in their nostrils, and they don't even know it. Fortunately, most such "carriers" will never experience the debilitating, or even deadly, effects these bacteria, known as Staphylococcus bacteria, can cause, producing a health issue most commonly related to what are known as staph infections.
These bacteria rarely cause an infection, but when they somehow move deeper into your body or even invade your bloodstream, serious illness can result. Not only can they enter your bloodstream, in fact, but they can also affect joints, bones, lungs, and the heart.
Conditions Triggered by Staph Infections
There are several types of skin infections caused by staph bacteria as well as other types of unwanted health conditions that can be triggered by staph bacteria as well. Here is a list of some of them. Be sure to discuss treatment - to include use of natural remedies such as herbs or supplements - of any of these with your personal physician or other health-care professional:
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Boils - These appear on the skins as pockets of pus typically found in the hair follicles or oil glands, making the skin in the affected area swollen and red.
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Cellulitis - This is a type of staph infection that sets up residence in deeper layers of the skin, causing redness and swelling, as well as skin ulcers.
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Food poisoning - Staph bacteria are one of the chief sources of food poisoning, which is characterized by symptoms similar to stomach flu such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration.
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Toxic shock syndrome - Some strains of staph bacteria have been shown to release toxins associated with the use of certain kinds of tampons, surgery, and wounds, producing toxic shock syndrome with symptoms such as high fever, vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea, confusion, and muscle aches, in addition to other issues.
Natural Remedies to Help Treat Staph Infections
In recent years, antibiotic medications have become less effective in treating staph infections because of the growing resistance of staph bacteria (one of a class of "super bugs") against such pharmaceuticals. The following herbs and supplements can help pick up the slack in this ongoing war against staph infections:
Garlic. Extracts from garlic have shown success in working in tandem with medications by boosting the antimicrobial properties of antibiotics employed against methicillin-resistant strains ofStaphylococcusaureus. https://www.stylecraze.com/articles/natural-treatment-staph-infection/
Oregano oil. Research has shown that oil extracted from the oregano herb has potent anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, making it handy for supporting the treatment of staph infection. Note that oregano essential oil contains ample amounts of "carvacrol," a polyphenol active in the herb that provides its medicinal benefits.
Vitamin B3. Researchers treating mice and human cells contained in lab dishes with ample amounts of vitamin B3 produced an effect in which the capacity of immune system cells to fight a staph infection was increased by a thousandfold. In the process, the study also found, B3 showed a positive effect in treating staph infections otherwise resistant to antibiotics.
Eucalyptus oil. Thanks to a compound known as 1.8-cineole - or eucalyptol compound, in layman's terms - eucalyptus oil has been shown through lab studies an ability to render an antimicrobial effect on the staphylococcus bacteria. A number of other bioactive constituents are often found in this oil.
Turmeric. Turmeric, which doubles as a wonderful source of the tasty spice that provides curry, also happens to contain several antibacterial characteristics that have made turmeric a staple in traditional medical practices dating back hundreds of years. Its key ingredient is curcumin, a compound that can be very effective opposing various types of staphylococcus bacteria.
Witch hazel. Witch hazel also serves as a natural remedy that has been used in medical practices since ancient times for such procedures as slowing/stopping the bleeding from wounds and thwarting infections in general. Research has also shown that hamamelitannin, a substance found in witch hazel bark, impedes a process known as quorum sensing, which allows staph bacteria cells to communicate with one another. Witch hazel thus works to suppress infections caused by staph bacteria.