I’ve seen super-bugs in our town. They are occurring more frequently than in the past due to the broad use of strong antibiotics in the community and the progressive resistance to these antibiotics. Now, that fact might worry you…but relax. To me, a superbug is a bacteria that has multiple antibiotic resistances but can still be treated with IV or exotic antibiotics that are both expensive and difficult to tolerate. The bigger concern to me is the SUPER-DUPER BUG, and that is the one you heard about in the news this week. That is a bacterial germ for which there is no antibiotic treatment, and that is something I HAVE NOT SEEN NOR ARE WE LIKELY TO SEE FOR SOME TIME.
Due to a combination of increasing antibiotic use and lack of research into new antibiotics, we are in an ‘interim period’ when we will be confronted with bacterial germs that are untreatable. How long this period will last depends on two factors: the ongoing use of antibiotics and efforts to curtail overuse, combined with the results of research efforts to find new antibiotics. It’s impossible to say how long we will have issues, but it’s likely to persist for several years.
Despite the lack of antibiotics, we will be able to treat infections, but we will have to go back in time, to old-fashioned remedies as we had in the past…topical treatments, draining of infected tissues, etc….. The old medical books will have to be dusted off and with imperfect results.
So….do what you can to reduce the antibiotic burden. Wait a bit when you have a respiratory infection to seek antibiotic treatment. Use home remedies, such as those you can find in THE GUIDE, to self- treat and avoid the doctors office as much as possible.