“Biofilms” linked to recurring infections
The intelligence and ingenuity of bacteria never cease to amaze me. Bacteria are especially good at hiding in your body and evading the treatments used to kill them. That’s why Staph and MRSA superbug infections can be so hard to treat. It’s also a key reason why Staph and MRSA infections can recur over and over.
One of the cleverest tricks bacteria use to hide are biofilms. Biofilms are thin armored fortresses that bacteria build to live, breed and hide inside. While bacteria are too small to see without a microscope, you probably see biofilms every day without even realizing it. One type of biofilm is the slimy layer inside your pet’s water dish that’s so hard to clean off. Another biofilm is the hard dental plaque that develops on your teeth. Biofilms are tenacious and tough, shielding the bacteria from the outside environment.
Bacteria can also form biofilms inside your body. Biofilm infections are now linked to stubborn recurring Staph MRSA infections.
The trouble with biofilms
Traditionally, antibiotics don’t get inside the biofilm to kill the bacteria inside. I liken it to trying to kill a colony of bees by spraying the ones flying in the air. Unless you also kill the hive, the bees will be back again in no time. In the same sense, unless you can destroy the biofilm and the bacteria within it, you’ll can stay stuck in the recurring infection cycle.
The National Institute for Health (NIH) says that biofilms are implicated in up to 80% of all chronic, recurring infections. And Staph bacteria are a major player when it comes to creating biofilms. How do you know if you have a biofilm infection? As a rule of thumb, experts say if have you a surgically implanted device or prosthetic that is infected, or if you have a history of recurring infections, there’s a good chance that a biofilm infection is involved.
The trouble is, biofilms are a relatively new area of research and few relevant treatment studies have been performed. Most tests for both MRSA natural remedies and MRSA antibiotic drugs are done using free-floating bacteria, not biofilms. And biofilms are much more impervious to treatments and your own immune system than free-floating bacteria.
What you can do
Here’s the good news. Some initial studies I’ve seen suggest that some natural antimicrobials have shown activity against biofilms. Some natural products also have had a very good track record when it comes to stopping chronic recurring infections. My first impression about this leads me to wonder that, in addition to boosting the immune system, these natural products must have some type of activity against biofilms. This would make sense as plants have to defend themselves against bacterial invasion, and it seems reasonable they have developed anti-biofilm compounds to defend against this threat. I hope more research can be performed on plant compounds and biofilms.
As I’ve mentioned before, your immune system is a major first line of defense against any infection. Bacteria hiding in biofilms are just waiting for a good opportunity to cause a re-infection. You can give bacteria less opportunities to cause re-infection by keeping your immune system strong.
Additionally, a new product I’ve started researching actually targets biofilms. Rather than attacking bacteria, this product works to break down the biofilm, exposing the bacteria inside.
More help coming soon
A product that targets and tears down biofilms could be an excellent addition to any treatment approach. Such a product would make the biofilm bacteria more vulnerable to antibiotics or natural treatment approaches. I’m pretty excited about what this could mean for Staph and MRSA treatment, and I look forward to sharing more on this in the future.
To your best health,
Michelle Moore
Microbiologist and Natural Health Advocate
Author of the Natural Staph and MRSA Treatment and Prevention Guidebook MRSA Secrets Revealed
The book MRSA Secrets Revealed includes protocols for addressing stubborn, recurring infections.
