(This is not meant to replace medical advice; this is sharing research. Please make your own decisions about your healthcare!)
Strep Throat
Even in natural health circles, antibiotics are highly touted as the only remedy for strep throat. But many of us know that antibiotics pose a high risk to our health, including permanently damaging gut health (which is where at least 70% of our immune system resides) and contributing to MRSA.
Plus, antibiotics may not even be that helpful for strep throat. In a study from 2003, doctors tested the efficacy of prescription antibiotic treatment for strep throat. They found:
Penicillin treatment was not more beneficial than placebo in resolving symptoms of sore throat.
It goes on to state:
Penicillin V does not reduce the duration of symptoms. . . nor does it affect school attendance or recurrences of sore throat.
The risk of strep sequelae (complications arising from strep throat such as ear infections, sinusitis, and scarlet or rheumatic fever) is a concern among parents and the reason many choose to use antibiotics for this type of bacterial infection. Considering that studies show antibiotic treatment can cause dangerous bacteria to harbor in the gut for up to two years, its use for treatment of strep throat to prevent sequelae should be used with the following considerations:
1. According to the study, “Complications have become extremely rare in affluent Western communities”;
2. Also according to the study, “Once a sequela is diagnosed, sufficient time is left to start antibiotic treatment.”
This simply means that these complications are easily treated when they are diagnosed right away and are thus no longer dangerous as they once were. If antibiotic treatment is not chosen for strep throat, it can be used in the case of subsequent sequelae.
3. A child’s diet and lifestyle is an important consideration when determining whether or not to use prescription antibiotics for the treatment of strep throat. A child who is often around other children, especially in a daycare setting, and whose diet consists of processed foods and refined sugars may not have the immune system protection necessary to fight well against sequelae. But this does not mean that they must choose CHEMICAL antibiotics!
4. The use of natural antibiotics is highly recommended.
(Full study can be seen here: http://www.bmj.com/content/327/7427/1324.full)
But what about PANDAS?
No, not a cute cuddly bear! There is concern over something called PANDAS, Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections.
The term is used to describe a subset of children who have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and/or tic disorders such as Tourette Syndrome, and in whom symptoms worsen following strep infections such as “Strep throat” and Scarlet Fever.
The children usually have dramatic, “overnight” onset of symptoms, including motor or vocal tics, obsessions, and/or compulsions. In addition to these symptoms, children may also become moody, irritable or show concerns about separating from parents or loved ones. This abrupt onset is generally preceeded by a Strep throat infection.
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/pandas/index.shtml
It’s important to note that the mechanism behind this phenomenon is still not understood but one thing is clear: it is an autoimmune response to something pathogenic–bacteria or otherwise. That alone tells us that something else is wrong other than the strep bacteria itself.
In the case of autoimmune disorders, we know now (although conventional medicine is not as willing to accept this proven research) that a tendency towards autoimmune conditions are a result of things like vaccinations, antibiotics, and other chemical attacks on the body. It is likely that some children suffering from PANDAS (which by the way does not have any objective tests to confirm this diagnosis) had a strep throat infection that was in fact treated with antibiotics and that that very treatment could have triggered an autoimmune reaction from the strep bacteria.
In other cases, a child’s body that has already launched an autoimmune attack as a result of being inoculated with vaccinations is more prone to autoimmune disorders.
Besides, I am not necessarily advocating a Do-Nothing Approach, I am simply advocating a NATURAL approach to strep throat!! And my main recommendation for it is this:
OREGANO OIL–THE STREP-THROAT ANTIBIOTIC
Oregano Oil is a proven and powerful natural antibiotic. Oregano contains elenoic acid, a powerful antibiotic and antiviral compound.
At least two studies have shown that oregano oil—and, in particular, carvacrol, one of oregano’s chemical components—appear to reduce infection and growth of strep bacteria as effectively as traditional antibiotics. 1
In research done by Dr. Diane Horn, out of 73 essential oils tested, three were found to be highly inhibitory against Streptococcus pneumoniae. Those three were oregano, thyme, and rosewood. 2
And offering something even better than prescription antibiotics, oregano oil may also be an effective treatment against dangerous, and sometimes drug-resistant bacteria, a Georgetown researcher has found.3
Harry G. Preuss, MD, MACN, CNS, professor of physiology and biophysics, and his research team, tested oregano oil on staphylococcus bacteria—which is responsible for a variety of severe infections and is becoming increasingly resistant to many antibiotics. They combined oregano oil with the bacteria in a test tube, and compared oregano oil’s effects to those of standard antibiotics streptomycin, penicillin and vacnomycin.
The oregano oil at relatively low doses was found to inhibit the growth of staphylococcus bacteria in the test tubes as effectively as the standard antibiotics did, but of course without the permanent gut damage and MRSA risk!
References
1Braz J Med Biol Res. 2007 Mar;40(3):349-56. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17334532
2 Journal of Essential Oil Research, VOLUME 13, ISSUE 5,
2001. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10412905.2001.9712241#.UqdcadJDvX4
3 Georgetown University Medical Center (2001, October 11). Oregano Oil May Protect Against Drug-Resistant Bacteria, Georgetown Researcher Finds. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 10, 2013, from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/10/011011065609.htm
4 J Appl Microbiol. 2014 May;116(5):1149-63. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24779581
5.Lett Appl Microbiol. 2003;36(3):162-7. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12581376
Possible options to consider:
--Inner Defense capsules (contains oregano) (These can be cut or pierced open and put into liquid with fat (such as milk) or citrus and swallowed for those who can't swallow the capsules.)
--Thieves mouthwash gargled
--Probiotics such as Life 9
--High-dose Vitamin C therapy (http://www.doctoryourself.com/klenner_table.html )
--Colloidal silver spray if needed