Flesh Eating Bacteria Alert!

May 24, 2012
Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS

Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS

Award-winning nutritionist and New York Times bestselling author.

Avoid unwanted hitchhikers at all costs.

Bad bugs are everywhere these days. We all have to be especially mindful because of the current outbreak of flesh eating disease or necrotizing fasciitis. This infection is usually caused by a virulent strain of strep or staph that goes wild and produces endotoxins that can spread rapidly resulting in a death rate of up to 40% with loss of limbs.

While the young woman in Georgia contracted necrotizing fasciitis from Aeromonas hydrophila, an extremely rare strain of bacteria (not strep or staph) found in warm and brackish waters, just yesterday I read that six patients infected by strep and/or staph-induced necrotizing fasciitis were treated at the Nebraska Medical Center’s hyperbaric oxygen unit during the last month.

Good to know.

I never would have considered hyperbaric oxygen therapy as a first line treatment against this life threatening bacteria. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy not only helps to greatly enhance the immune system to fight off the infection but can even turbocharge the antibiotics that are also prescribed.

A hyperbaric oxygen chamber can rapidly deliver oxygen into areas of the body that aren’t getting enough oxygen due to tissue swelling, damage, and inflammation.

After reading this article, I located a site that lists all of the hyperbaric oxygen centers throughout the United States. So just in case—and this information can truly be life saving—you should be aware of the closest hyperbaric oxygen center in your area.  Check out this link and have an emergency plan ready for your family and loved ones.

Who gets sick?

In most cases, individuals that are most susceptible to the bacteria are those with compromised immune systems.

Diabetics, substance abusers, the obese, and smokers are more vulnerable.  But, anyone—even in the best of health—can become infected.  It appears that the bacteria can pose a very serious risk to even healthy people—via a cut or lesion—when it gains access to the blood stream.

So—regardless of whether you are dealing with a paper cut or big scrape, use a 50/50 hydrogen peroxide wash immediately and cover with a bandage.  Remember to wash your hands before and after cleaning the wound.  If you start to experience more swelling, fever, pain, or the cut becomes red and more inflamed, then it’s time to head to the emergency room.

Other tips to outsmart the smart bugs:

1) Since nearly 75% of your immune system resides in your GI tract, a probiotic will help shield your body from the invasion of pathogens. Look for a probiotic formula like Flora-Key that contains 10 billion beneficial bacteria per serving. Avoid very high dosage probiotics that surprisingly can induce an auto-immune response.

2) Keep your adrenals strong—advice that is generally omitted when the topic of immunity is discussed.  Your energy, endurance, and resiliency all depend upon the functioning of your adrenals—the glands of stress.

To minimize negative responses to environmental assaults, the adrenal secretes anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-like hormones.  Just consider how many conditions hydrocortisone (the synthetic version of the adrenal’s naturally produced cortisol) treats:  swelling, inflammation, and auto-immune disorders. Strong adrenals allow your body to withstand stress of any types. People with weak adrenals don’t fend off coughs, colds, skin conditions, or allergies like other people. They frequently suffer from hay fever, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, multiple chemical allergies and suffer from recurring respiratory infections.

I personally take my adrenal glandulars three times daily upon arising, mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Look for a formula like UNI KEY’s Adrenal Formula which contains the highest-grade raw bovine whole adrenal gland (200 mg) and raw bovine adrenal cortex (15 mg) from New Zealand. It also contains tissue glandulars from the spleen (100 mg) and liver (25 mg), as well as vital nutrients for rebuilding adrenal function including vitamin C, pantothenic acid, zinc, serotonin-building vitamin B6, infection-fighting vitamin A, and the anti-stress amino acid, tyrosine. Tissue glandulars, unlike herbs, provide a DNA/RNA blueprint for our own glandular regeneration.

3) Last but not least, hit the hay early and get at least seven hours of restorative sleep to meet the challenges of our increasingly toxic environment.

 

With these tips in mind, may good health always be your companion!

Related Articles and Podcasts

Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS, is an award-winning New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty books including The Fat Flush Plan series and her latest book, Radical Metabolism. She’s been rewriting the rules of nutrition for more than 40 years and is internationally recognized as a pioneer in the field of diet, detox and women’s health issues. 

For a FREE daily dose of tips and strategies for maintaining healthy weight, conquering insomnia, and much more…check out my Radical Health Tips.

I’d like to meet and greet you on my Facebook groups, so won’t you check us out at the Radical Metabolism RevolutionFat Flush Nation, or my Inner Circle!

7 Comments

  1. Sammy

    Thank you Ann Louise, all info is greatly appreciated, we can’t be to careful in these times.

    Reply
  2. dr Diane Romeo

    Thanks Ann Louise, you are always up on the latest research. I’m happy to report we do have a hperbaric oxygen facility in Jupiter, FL. Good to know!

    Reply
  3. Laura

    excellent article! Thank you so much!!

    Reply
  4. Marina

    Excellent life-saving information. Thank you so much.
    With your help, I am understanding more and more about how critical the adrenal glands are to immunity and health. If you please, what would be a therapeutic dose of the Adrenal Formula (to relieve symptoms of adrenal fatigue or exhaustion)? And what would be a maintenance dose? Also, is it safe for our teens to take adrenal supplements?
    Thank you for your guidance.

    Reply
  5. Administrator

    We received numerous comments regarding this blog. With regard to the adrenals, follow the directions on the label of whichever formula you are using. In the case, of the Adrenal Formula, which I reference in the blog because I have had such a long history of personal and professional experience with this product, take 2, 3 timex daily BUT please work up slowly.

    @Marina: The best times to take the formula are at 7, 11 am and 3 pm – when your blood sugar often dips. With regard to a teen, you might consider about 1/2 the recommended adult dosage (2, 3 times daily) and again work up slowly. Perhaps start at 1 in the mid-morning and then several days later add another mid-afternoon and so on.

    Best of health to all of you!!

    Reply
  6. Roger

    Regarding “flesh-eating bacteria: reference PolyMedix defensin-mimetic antibiotic PMX-30063 which recently delivered positive results in Phase 2 proof of concept studies treating Acute Bacterial Skin and Skin Structure Infections. Very exciting!

    Reply
  7. Peter

    Life saving info, to be sure, ALG. Keep it up!

    Reply

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