Alternative Natural Cures for Bacterial, Viral, and Fungal Infections

To understand how to use natural medicine to fight off bacterial, viral, or fungal infections, you need to understand the difference between a natural, holistic approach versus the orthodox medicine or allopathic approach.

In orthodox medicine, or allopathy, infections are treated in a vacuum. Sometimes a culture is taken to determine what the infectious agent is, and then a pharmaceutical drug is prescribed to target that particular infection. For example, if you have a bacterial infection in your throat, a doctor might prescribe an antibacterial like amoxicillin.

In holistic, homeopathic, or natural medicine, an infection is treated by supporting and strengthening the body's immune system. This, of course, requires a much broader approach than simply popping one pill twice a day and waiting weeks for the infection to clear. It is not enough to put your health in someone else's hands. You must be an active participant in restoring your body to health, and that means understanding what alternative treatments are available, how safe they are, and how to use them.

There are some treatments that apply regardless of what type of infection you're dealing with. I call these "common sense treatments" because they're things you actually should be doing anyway, whether you're sick or not.

Common Sense Treatment #1
Greatly reduce or eliminate refined sugars and carbohydrates from your diet. This includes sugar and flours, even organic and natural sugars like fructose, sucrose, cane juice, rice flour, wheat flour, cookies, crackers, and pastas. These items all require B vitamins to metabolize properly, and if you are not supplementing with large amount of B vitamins, your body will have to "steal" these vitamins from somewhere else.

Common Sense Treatment #2
Eat plenty of vegetables. And by vegetables, I do not mean carrots. Green vegetables like spinach, broccoli, turnip and collard greens, and yellow vegetables such as squash and peppers are all good choices. Juicing these vegetables does not count!

Upper Respiratory Infections

Now when you do come down with an infection that affects your sinuses or nose, one of the best treatments is nasal irrigation. I cannot overstate the power of nasal irrigation. Simply put, it washes out your nose and your sinuses with a saline (salt) solution. All the junk that your mucus has captured, nasal irrigation will wash away, leaving your sinuses clean and clear. I used to get sinus infections all the time, but thanks to this technique, I have not had one in years. And if you do happen to develop a sinus infection, nasal irrigation can help you cure it without antibiotics.

You may have used or heard of something called a Neti pot to accomplish nasal irrigation. I used to use a Neti pot myself, however, the problem is that Neti pots rely on gravity to pull the solution into your nose and sinuses. This does not create enough pressure to adequately clean your sinuses out. I also did not find the Neti pot to be as effective in preventing infection. So instead, I use a special type of squeeze bottle that literally forces the junk and mucus out of your sinuses, thoroughly cleaning them out. I use NeilMed's Sinus Rinse Bottle Kit which is extremely inexpensive and includes the premixed solution, so you don't have to worry about mixing it yourself.

Anytime you are dealing with an upper respiratory infection, your body is generating and excreting tremendous amounts of mucus. Along with this mucus your body is shedding a protective barrier made up of epithelial cells. If this protective barrier is not replenished quickly, an infection will almost certainly take hold. So how to you replenish this wall of cells? Supplement with Vitamin A (Beta carotene). This vitamin is crucial to the development of epithelial cells, and by giving your body plenty of it, these cells will regenerate quickly and do their job: prevent infection and make you well faster.

For a sore throat, sometimes the oldest method is the best: gargling with warm salt water. Doing this loosens up mucus and cleans out your mouth and throat. The salt acts as a natural antiseptic, killing bacteria and preventing infection. The warm, salt water also soothes itchy, sore tissues.

A Natural Antibiotic

Garlic is one of the most powerful and cheapest antibiotics. You don't need to understand how it works, just know that it does. Squeezing fresh garlic is the best, of course, but I have found garlic capsules to work well. When you're sick, you don't feel like squeezing garlic over and over. Give yourself the option of taking garlic in a pill, and you'll be more likely to do it. It can't help you if you don't take it!

Dealing with Digestive Upset and Hormone Deregulation

When you're sick, your metabolism may slow down, which can lead to sluge building up in your gallbladder. As you age, it's important to keep bile from your liver flowing to prevent gallstones, and milk thistle is one of the best ways to do this. Not only does it help protect your liver by promoting bile production, is it also a very powerful hormone regulator. Sickness has a way of messing with your hormones, as does age, so be sure to keep some high quality Milk Thistle Extract on hand. Also, if you do end up taking a potentially liver-toxic prescription antibiotic, milk thistle can help protect your liver from damage.

Natural Relief

It's tempting to go for Benadryl or something similar to relieve unpleasant symptoms. But first, try some megadoses of Vitamin C. It is a natural antihistamine, so it can help you stop sneezing and sniffling, and relieve your watery eyes.

Pamper Yourself

A nice hot bath or shower can help you relax, get your blood circulation flowing, and help moisten and soften sinus and nasal tissue. The added moisture can help loosen up phlegm even more and make blowing your nose easier.

Don't Automatically Go For The Quick Fix

While it may be easier to just visit the doctor and accept a prescription antibiotic, you need to know that there are long-term, dangerous effects of antibiotics. If you take prescription antibiotics for more than 11 weeks total (throughout your life), you will upset the delicate balance of your intestinal bacteria and flora, which can lead to bowel diseases like ulcerative colitis and Crohn's, which can cause colon cancer and life-threatening bleeding. I am not saying that you should not take antibiotics. Just understand the possible long-term effects of popping antibiotics for every little sneeze and sniffle.

Expensive Is Not Necessarily Better -- Or Worse

When it comes to your health, make no assumptions about cost. Just because something costs more (like a prescription) doesn't mean it's any better, nor does it mean it's any worse. An armful of herbal supplements combined can be far less expensive than a single prescription. Or they can be more. Regardless, don't make health decisions based on money.

A Word On the Safety of Natural Medicines

Herbs have been used in medicine for thousands of years. Much longer than your synthetic pharmaceuticals that could be recalled at any moment as soon as enough people drop dead from currently unknown side-effects.

And get this: Most pharmaceuticals are synthetic replicas of herbs. Let me say that again. Most pharmaceutical drugs are based on key ingredients in medicinal herbs. Consequently, the safety of herbs can be compared to the safety of pharmaceuticals. Buyer beware.

Do not assume an herb is safe without extensive research. Do not assume an FDA-approved drug is safe without extensive research. People have been killed by both.