https://youtu.be/wol0nYPuyAY
Listen to Dr. Brad break it down, or if you prefer a read, here you go!
Antibiotics can be useful for bacterial infections—not so much for viral infections. That one we can all wrap our heads around.
Sometimes we take an antibiotic even though we are not sure what kind of infection we have going on, and we find relief. Does that mean "it worked?"
The tricky part is that antibiotics have an internal cooling effect which means they can temporarily relieve symptoms caused by inflammation, not just symptoms caused by infection. Though there is a relief, that does not necessarily mean the antibiotic cleared any infection.
You may see this happen when a child takes an antibiotic to treat an ear infection. The inflammation comes down, yay! Less pressure, relief of pain, and your little one isn't fussy. Yet the inflammation from neck misalignment or underlying virus or yeast builds up again, and there you have a fussy little one within a month or two.
The harshest effect antibiotics seem to have on the body is cooling the digestive system. The digestive system functions best when it stays warm and burns calories. Unfortunately, antibiotics have a cooling effect (as well as peppermint, icy drinks, ice cream, etc...) on the digestive system. When the digestion is cooled, our digestive ability is reduced, and the beneficial flora. We call this flora our healthy internal biome and helps regulate our hormonal systems, immune systems, and moods.
TIPS:
WHILE YOU ARE TAKING AN ANTIBIOTIC: Drink a couple of cups of ginger tea per day. It sounds a bit hokey, but this power-punching herb helps warm your digestive system, which protects the good bacteria from getting killed off and keeps your internal biome functioning as it should. The stronger and more functional your internal biome, the BETTER the antibiotic can fight off the infection-causing bacteria.
*Ginger tea is good for both kids and adults. If sensitive to ginger, you could try cinnamon tea instead.
AFTER YOU FINISH YOUR ANTIBIOTIC: As for building up the gut - probiotics are great but are only to be used AFTER you complete the antibiotics. Remember, some probiotics can make antibiotics less effective, making some infections look “resistant”.
Another confusing piece to this—though antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections, the reason for the overgrowth of the bacteria can, at times be from underlying viral infections; which the antibiotic does not address.
A typical example is Strep throat. We all have strep in our throats, but Strep throat is an overgrowth of bacteria from an underlying viral infection. And why a classroom can come down with strep throat all at the same time- strep from the back of the throat is not easily spread throughout a classroom, but a virus is. And if the body does not clear the virus from the body, strep can come back again and again. However, our experience has been that once we’ve treated the underlying virus, strep throat infections tend to become a thing of the past. *For more about strep and how you can address the virus, and the bacteria overgrowth, search strep for his strep article and video.
*For support for the crazy-making ear infection cycle search for the ear infection article.
Good job getting informed as you care for yourself and any little ones in your life!