This morning my cousin was diagnosed with a Mersa infection (more correctly known as MRSA). She likely got it from a recent hospital visit to see another family member. She had a small cut on her leg that hadn’t been getting better and she just got back from her doctor. Any break in your skin (a cut, scratch, scrape, etc) can provide easy entry for MRSA bacteria to get into your body.
Unfortunately, my cousin isn’t the only in my family who’s had MRSA before. My sister-in-law got a MRSA infection a few years ago, shortly after visiting a hospital. Hospitals are by far the most common place where MRSA gets picked up. My post last week was about how to protect yourself against catching hospital infections. This week you’ll see more on what to do and how to get rid of MRSA if you do catch it.
The first and most important thing you can do is get tested by your doctor, especially if you plan to take antibiotics. The next step is to understand what you’re dealing with and what your MRSA treatment options are. Unfortunately, there are important answers and options that it’s likely your doctor won’t tell you.
MRSA: what to do
If you catch MRSA or Staph, here are some important things you should consider:
- Do your research about what MRSA is, what it is not and what your treatment options are. Understand the pros and cons of antibiotics and what the benefits and limitations are for natural remedies.
- Get a health advocate to help you regardless of what approach you determine to take. Having a friend of family member to help you with medical issues can be a big help, especially if you are new to natural medicine.
- Consider seeing a Naturopathic Doctor (ND) if you want to use natural methods and antibiotic alternatives. Be aware that not all ND’s have experience with MRSA.
- Consider seeing a specialist, such as an Infectious Disease Doctor, if you plan to use mainstream treatments like antibiotic drugs. Be aware that many MDs have limited MRSA experience and few understand or support the use of natural remedies.
- Come up with a short-term treatment plan to stop your infection. This plan should fit your particular needs and your preferences and can include both mainstream and natural options.
- Counteract antibiotic side effects and repair the damaging results Staph an MRSA bacteria can have on your body. It’s also important to prevent the infection from spreading to your family.
- Last but not least, come up with a longer-term plan to keep the infection from coming back. Immune support and taking maintenance levels of preventative remedies have been helpful for many people.
The things above are exactly what I shared with my cousin today. They are all part of my 3 Steps to Stop MRSA which is outlined in great detail in my book. I’m glad I can share what I’ve learned with her because these steps changed my life, and I’ve seen them help countless others again and again.
To your best health,
Michelle
Microbiologist and Natural Health Expert
