At a time when the numbers of emerging infections and antibiotic-resistant bacteria are rising sharply, the supply of new antibiotic drugs has been steadily decreasing. In addition, many health providers have failed to consider that our bodies are cloaked in a blanket of bacteria so pervasive that the bacterial cells outnumber our “human” cells by a factor of ten. In short, we are living in a microbe’s world and cannot ignore the very real potential for untreatable serious infections. In this timely book, Dr. Michael Schmidt proposes we focus on strengthening ourselves by thinking of our bodies as a “human-microbe hybrid.” This requires taking action to raise our defenses, while preserving the integrity of the microbial elements that live on and within us. Drawing on the latest research from several scientific fields, Schmidt presents a strategy of medicine that can be used to build and balance our system of immune defense and repair. He offers a set of general recommendations that can easily be used to tailor programs to individuals seeking to support health maintenance, prevent illness, fight active acute or chronic infections, and foster faster recovery from infections.

With 50 pages of new material, the latest edition of this guide presents additional evidence that modern medicine's continuing reliance on antibiotics as a prime weapon against illness deserves rethinking. Here the authors suggest many natural methods to strengthen the body's immune system.

HEALING LYME BEYOND ANTIBIOTICS Lyme disease is now the most common tick-borne disease in Europe, Asia, and the United States: according to the CDC, each year in the US alone there are an estimated 300, 000 cases of Lyme disease. As researchers work to find ways to combat Borrelia burgdorferi and other bacteria known to cause Lyme disease, practitioners of allopathic medicine currently have few options beyond antibiotics to offer patients. After becoming very ill with Lyme disease, unsuccessful treatments with antibiotics left Isa extremely weak, exhausted, unable to think clearly, or function normally. A chance remark by her niece about a natural remedy inspired Isa to investigate alternative healing methods. After an extensive search she found the treatment she needed and recovered fully. Healing Lyme Beyond Antibiotics tells the story of Isa’s successful recovery, but is more than a guide on how to cure oneself from Lyme disease by natural means. It also informs the reader about the bacteria that cause the illness, offers detailed information about bacterial hosts and reservoirs, and gives advice on how to protect oneself from getting infected. – a must read book for everyone afflicted with Lyme disease –

“Uses [pneumonia] as a vehicle for examining the evolution of therapeutics in America between the ‘Golden Age of Microbiology’ and the ‘Age of Antibiotics.’”—Isis Focusing largely on the treatment of pneumonia in first half of the century with type-specific serotherapy, clinician-historian Scott H. Podolsky provides insight into the rise and clinical evaluation of therapeutic “specifics,” the contested domains of private practice and public health, and—as the treatment of pneumonia made the transition from serotherapy to chemotherapy and antibiotics—the tempo and mode of therapeutic change itself. Type-specific serotherapy, founded on the tenets of applied immunology, justified by controlled clinical trials, and grounded in a novel public ethos, was deemed revolutionary when it emerged to replace supportive therapeutics. With the advent of the even more revolutionary sulfa drugs and antibiotics, pneumonia ceased to be a public health concern and became instead an illness treated in individual patients by individual physicians. Podolsky describes the new therapeutics and the scientists and practitioners who developed and debated them. He finds that, rather than representing a barren era in anticipation of some unknown transformation to come, the first decades of the twentieth-century shaped the use of, and reliance upon, the therapeutic specific throughout the century and beyond. This intriguing study will interest historians of medicine and science, policymakers, and clinicians alike. “Podolsky’s scholarship is awesome, and his grasp of the philosophical and sociologic context of the issues considered make this an important work.” —New England Journal of Medicine “This thoroughly documented, carefully written book is a landmark analysis . . . It should be read by everyone who is involved in research and therapeutic development.” —JAMA

Shortly after my second child was born, he began to experience labored breathing that resulted in vomiting episodes. Every time he experienced one of these episodes, his blood oxygen levels would decrease and his fingernails and lips would turn a bluish color. He was admitted into the neonatal intensive care unit where he underwent multiple tests. The fees exceeded $16,000, yet yielded no productive information. It was then I decided to adjust his spine to restore balance to his body. After this life changing adjustment, his medical problems ceased, and he had true complete health. Our medical system is focused on chasing a symptom in an effort to cover it up, rather than treat the whole person and restore balance. Your body has the ability to function normally, or in balance, allowing you to feel your best. When your body is out of balance, it's time to see a chiropractor.

Some people suffer from chronic, debilitating disorders for which no conventional treatment brings relief. Can marijuana ease their symptoms? Would it be breaking the law to turn to marijuana as a medication? There are few sources of objective, scientifically sound advice for people in this situation. Most books about marijuana and medicine attempt to promote the views of advocates or opponents. To fill the gap between these extremes, authors Alison Mack and Janet Joy have extracted critical findings from a recent Institute of Medicine study on this important issue, interpreting them for a general audience. Marijuana As Medicine? provides patientsâ€"as well as the people who care for themâ€"with a foundation for making decisions about their own health care. This empowering volume examines several key points, including: Whether marijuana can relieve a variety of symptoms, including pain, muscle spasticity, nausea, and appetite loss. The dangers of smoking marijuana, as well as the effects of its active chemical components on the immune system and on psychological health. The potential use of marijuana-based medications on symptoms of AIDS, cancer, multiple sclerosis, and several other specific disorders, in comparison with existing treatments. Marijuana As Medicine? introduces readers to the active compounds in marijuana. These include the principal ingredient in Marinol, a legal medication. The authors also discuss the prospects for developing other drugs derived from marijuana's active ingredients. In addition to providing an up-to-date review of the science behind the medical marijuana debate, Mack and Joy also answer common questions about the legal status of marijuana, explaining the conflict between state and federal law regarding its medical use. Intended primarily as an aid to patients and caregivers, this book objectively presents critical information so that it can be used to make responsible health care decisions. Marijuana As Medicine? will also be a valuable resource for policymakers, health care providers, patient counselors, medical faculty and studentsâ€"in short, anyone who wants to learn more about this important issue.

Among the many who serve in the United States Armed Forces and who are deployed to distant locations around the world, myriad health threats are encountered. In addition to those associated with the disruption of their home life and potential for combat, they may face distinctive disease threats that are specific to the locations to which they are deployed. U.S. forces have been deployed many times over the years to areas in which malaria is endemic, including in parts of Afghanistan and Iraq. Department of Defense (DoD) policy requires that antimalarial drugs be issued and regimens adhered to for deployments to malaria-endemic areas. Policies directing which should be used as first and as second-line agents have evolved over time based on new data regarding adverse events or precautions for specific underlying health conditions, areas of deployment, and other operational factors At the request of the Veterans Administration, Assessment of Long-Term Health Effects of Antimalarial Drugs When Used for Prophylaxis assesses the scientific evidence regarding the potential for long-term health effects resulting from the use of antimalarial drugs that were approved by FDA or used by U.S. service members for malaria prophylaxis, with a focus on mefloquine, tafenoquine, and other antimalarial drugs that have been used by DoD in the past 25 years. This report offers conclusions based on available evidence regarding associations of persistent or latent adverse events.